To Steal Music
by RedVoid
Summary: Pakunoda is dead; however, her most recent memories have brought a promise back to life. A promise from many years ago, made from a thief to a musician. "Some day. I steal you. I steal you and music." (based on Yandere Shoujo's one-shot: Eye to Eye) (crack pairing: FeitanxSenritsu) (cover image by Bai-Feng333)
1. Memories x And x Song

**I have other fics to write, I know. I'm going to overload myself, I know. I shouldn't be doing this, I know.**

**But, God damn it, I am doing this! :D**

**People, despite something called better-judgement (who needs it anyway?), I am going to begin yet another fic! And - drums, please! - it is NOT OC-centric! Yes! I have finally managed to create a plot that I find interesting enough and that doesn't envolve telling the story of an OC! - hallelujah choir.**

**Now, before I get started, I'm going to say some things about this fic.**

**First: yes, this fic will be Senritsu/Melody x Feitan. I know, a completely crack pairing, but I couldn't help myself; I really, really, _really_ have to write down this idea. I honestly believe I can make this work. If I don't... well, you can always close the internet window mid-way into the chapter. ;)**

**Second: this work is based on Yandere Shoujo's one-shot: Eye to Eye. To those who haven't read it, please do. It's an amazing read, and very important to understand this fic. Really, go check it out, you won't regret it. I would never be able to ship such a crack pairing if it wasn't for Yandere Shoujo's amazing work. **

**Third: the fic begins on the turn of the York Shin arc to the Greed Island arc and goes on from then. It'll follow Senritsu's quest for the Sonata of Darkess.**

**Warnings: some bad language, description of torture, CRACK pairing and... OOCness? (most likely. ****I'm doing my best to keep Feitan IC, but, well, since I'm pairing him with someone, I really think it can't be helped...)**

**Since there will be strong references to music in this fic, before each chapter, I intend to post a suggestion of a song/melody (that you'll always be able to find on youtube) that I think suits the pairing and the chapter. This time: Deadly Sorrow - by Myuu**

**Disclaimer (valid for all chapters): I don't own HunterxHunter or its characters or Nen. I also don't own the the phrases in italic of this chapter; they were copied from Eye to Eye, as a reference to it.**

**Now, to the story!**

* * *

Feitan was _bothered_.

Not because the Chain User had managed to capture Danchou. Not because Pakunoda was playing into his game; going alone to meet with him and exchange those two brats for their leader. And not because he didn't get to torture and kill said brats.

No. All of those things didn't bother him. They pissed him off. But, Feitan was used to that, so it didn't bother him.

What bothered the small thief was one specific phrase that Nobunaga said after talking to the Chain User: "He said he'll know if we lie to him by our heartbeat; he even told me to put the phone over my chest to check it."

Of course, as the Phantom Troupe's unofficial torturer, Feitan knew that the first organ that was affected by the brain's decisions was the heart. The heartbeat was the first give-away of someone's state of mind. No doubt, it would also be the first give-away of a lie.

Still, that request bothered him.

They all had established that the Chain User was a Conjurer or a Manipulator, and it would take an extremely experienced Enhancer to actually listen to a heartbeat through a phone. Said Enhancer would also have to be a very attentive person to be able to deduce the person's state of mind and truthfulness from said heartbeat. A true interrogator.

(A true musician.)

So, the Chain User had yet another Enhancer friend. Figures.

But, Enhancers were hot-headed people that couldn't bear to stay still - take Ubo for an example – so, why hadn't said Enhancer come after them with those brats? Why did the Enhancer learn how to enhance his hearing, a skill so secondary to fighting? How did an Enhancer even have the patience to learn how to read a heartbeat?

It did not make sense.

And it _bothered _him.

* * *

"Do you trust me?"

Those were Pakunoda's last words.

Pakunoda's death didn't bother Feitan; it angered him. It angered him so _fucking_ much that, for a second, he thought he'd materialize his Pain Packer armour and go after the Chain User himself.

_Please… let this end with me._

Pakunoda's emotions gave him the control he needed to keep still and take his time to think about the memories he had just received.

In one of Pakunoda's most recent memories, there was the image of a hat-wearing small woman, with sickly pale skin – much like his own - and long front teeth, standing right beside the Chain User.

Pakunoda's memories provided a name.

_Senritsu._

His own memories provided a song.

"_This is Mother to the West Sea." _

That song gave him calm.

As Phinks explained what had just happened to those who hadn't received Pakunoda's memories – Korutopi, Bonolenov and Shizuku – Feitan lost himself in a memory of his own. A memory of an encounter that had happened years ago, when he still live in Meteor City. A strange encounter, with an even stranger woman, that, though brief, marked the small thief deeply.

"_This? It's a flute. You never seen one?"_

He hadn't. She didn't mock him for it.

"_How about I play a song for you? I'm sure you'll like it."_

She played. He wanted more.

"_Calm down. I can play a different song."_

She played and tried to instruct him as to where he could listen to more songs. He ordered her to give him the flute.

"_I'm afraid I can't do that, though you can get one of your own."_

He attacked. She dodge. He saw her disfigured arm.

"_This is one of the reasons I can't allow you to have my flute."_

She had protected him. He helped her hide her arm.

"_I'm going to go now; you don't have what I'm looking for."_

She stood up to leave. He made a promise.

"_Some day. I steal you. I steal you and music."_

Feitan let his eyes close.

It had been months - years maybe - since that particular memory had come to surface; Feitan tended not to think much of the past. That didn't mean he had forgotten about the Woman with the Flute, though. How could he? After all, it was the first time he ever _desired_ to steal something, not needed to.

Why he hadn't stolen her there and then was still a mystery to him. However, he did remember looking for her on the next day, but she was no longer in Meteor City.

It was then that he decided to follow Kuroro and join the Phantom Troupe.

Kuroro had told them it was time to get what they _wanted_ instead of what they needed, and what Feitan wanted was no longer in Meteor City. It would be alrihgt, though; the Spider would walk away from that place and weave its web around the world. Feitan knew that, one day, the Woman with the Flute would fall on that web.

He hadn't forgotten about his promise to her.

When Feitan reopened his eyes, he saw Pakunoda's face. Unmoving and pale. Dead.

Anger build up inside him again but he held it back, playing and replaying a song and a voice in his mind. It lessened his anger; it calmed him.

"_This is Mother to the West Sea."_

Feitan longed to listen that song again. He longed to listen the Woman with the Flute play it to him again.

Behind his skull crest, a possessive smile tugged on the thief's lips; he no longer felt bothered.

"_Some day. I steal you. I steal you and music."_

Feitan knew that day was near.

* * *

Senritsu felt a chill run down her spine. Kurapika noticed the woman shiver.

"Are you alright, Senritsu?"

"Yes. Don't worry about me."

Kurapika stared at her for some moments, looking for any sign of discomfort. Senritsu noticed it and smiled reassuringly to the blonde.

Really, she didn't want him worrying about her. Not when he should be worrying about himself. Senritsu could hear in his heartbeat how much of a toll dealing with the Phantom Troupe had taken on Kurapika.

She knew that deciding not to kill the Phantom Troupe's leader had been a difficult decision to him; his heartbeat was pained but relieved, angry but controlled, sad but happy. All those mixed feelings, feelings that came with not knowing if you made the right choice, were overwhelming the boy.

Then, there was the shock of seeing how much Pakunoda cared about Kuroro. It was clear that Kurapika didn't anticipate such noble feelings from the any of the Spiders. However, he had found them in Pakunoda and identified himself with her. It just added to his doubts and uncertainties.

Senritsu laid her forehead on the cool glass of the airship's window. She wished there was something she could do to ease the boy's burden, even though she knew that nothing in the world would make things easier for him. Revenge was a dark and complicated path, incapable of giving the desired satisfaction to those who followed it.

Still, she believed Kurapika had done well. He could've gone rampant and killed Kuroro and Pakunoda, but he didn't. The boy had chosen life over death.

So, why was she feeling so uneasy? What was this feeling on the pit of her stomach that told her something was about to happen?

Senritsu felt another shiver run down her spine and closed her eyes. In her mind, she played and replayed a song. It calmed her.

The song's name was Mother to the West Sea.

* * *

**_"He said he'll know if we lie to him by our heartbeat; he even told me to put the phone over my chest to check it."_ - I know, Nobunaga never said that in the anime, but it had to be there. Please, bear with me.**

**Oh! Feitan's speech (_"Some day. I steal you. I steal you and music.") i_s wrong in this chapter and will remain wrong through the whole fic. ****Japanese, English, or whatever language they speak in the HxH universe, is Feitan's second language, so he doesn't speak it perfectly. His first language is the HxH's equivalent to Chinese.**

**Hope you enjoyed the fic. Please, let me know what you think about it. :)**

**Kisses,**

**RedVoid**


	2. Shalnark, x Gossip x Girl

**First of all: thank you Yandere Shoujo, pitou77 and Bai-Feng333 for reviewing the last chapter. I'm really happy you all enjoyed it. :)**

**Second: I forgot to say this in the first chapter so I'll put it now. I proof-read all of my chapters before posting them, but somethings do pass me by. Also, english is my second language so mistakes are bound to happen. When you notice an error or something lacking in the fic, let me now that I'll fix it right as soon as possible. Critiques are the best way for me to improve my writing and the story and, as such, are extremelly cherished. :D**

**Last of all: my music suggestion this time will be Sonata nº 2, for cello and piano - Myaskovsky**

* * *

Two days had passed since Pakunoda's death.

The Phantom Troupe no longer had any official reasons to stay in York Shin, but its members remained in the city, inhabiting the run-down building they had used as their headquarters.

It was odd, really, for all of them to remain together for no apparent reason, Shalnark thought as he watched the other members from his place, sitting at a broken window's porch. But, the blonde had to say that it felt right to stick together with everyone after everything that happened in the last days. Losing Ubo, Paku and Kuroro – Hisoka, not really - touched the remaining members deeply, leaving them like a bunch of lost and troubled children.

On the other hand, Shalnark disliked seeing his fellow Spiders – and himself – wallowing in that abandoned building, not doing anything productive or even talking to each other, as if they had been abandoned themselves. That just felt wrong. They should be together, but not like that. Their broken-hearted behaviour was an anomaly; a very gloomy one.

That was why, last night, when Feitan had come to him discreetly and asked him to do some research about a certain bodyguard, Shalnark jumped at the request eagerly, grinning brightly at the short thief. It was something for the technician to do; an objective, if you will.

Shalnark was even happier when Feitan commented that he and Phinks were going to the auction today, to steal one of those Greed Island games. That thievery would surely set the example and remind the rest of them of how the Troupe was supposed to be. It would be the little push that the Spider needed to regain its natural predatory behaviour.

"Ah! Feitan! Phinks!" Shalnark called excitedly when he saw the two walk by, dressed in black tuxedos. The blonde jumped from his place by the window and walked to them. "Going to the auction?"

"Yes." Feitan turned to the blonde. "I really want to get my hands in one those Greed Island games. It seem fun."

"Quit the chit-chat." Phinks complained, already walking away. "We'll be late."

"As if we take more than couple of minute to reach the place." Feitan spoke with a roll of his eyes, but took a step to the exit anyway.

Shalnark laid a hand on the torturer's shoulder to halt his movements, and bent down his torso a little, so his mouth was by his ear. "I've collected the data about that Nostrade's bodyguard as you asked. It's printed and waiting for you."

"Keep it for when I come back from auction?"

"Okay. But, if you want to kill her, I suggest you do it soon. Her boss, that Neon girl, will be going home soon and her bodyguards will follow."

"I take care of it when I return from auction." Feitan settled. "Thank you, Shalnark."

Grinning, Shalnark raised his upper body. "No problem!"

* * *

"A memory card is already inserted." Phinks spoke from his place on the run-down building's floor, staring at the Joy Station console with the Greed Island game that he and Feitan had stolen. "So only one more can play."

"We use multitap. Four more can play now." Feitan spoke, inserting the multitap on the console.

"Nice. So, who's going first?"

"You go." Feitan answered, standing up from the ground. "I need talk to Shalnark first."

Phinks blinked; he didn't expect Feitan to let him go first. "Okay… See you there, then."

Feitan watched the blonde insert a memory card in the multitap and used Hatsu on the console. A second later, Phinks disappeared. It was expected, but it didn't make it any less interesting.

As if noticing something was up, Machi, Franklin, Shizuku and Shalnark walked up to Feitan.

"What's that?" Machi asked.

"Is a game. Want play?" Feitan offered. "I go in later, but we have two more slots free."

"I'll pass."

Feitan shrugged his shoulders and turned to Shalnark. "Shalnark, about the-"

"Ah! Of course! Come with me."

The blonde led the thief to a corner of the large room, where the first's few personal belongings – technological trinkets, some changes of clothes and loose sheets of paper, full of information about god knows what - lay sprawled on the floor. From a pile of papers, Shalnark retrieved a thin folder and threw it to Feitan.

"This is all the info I got on the bodyguard. Not much interesting stuff, really… But I did get my hands on her boss' schedule for the next couple of weeks, so you could have an idea about where she'll be."

Feitan opened the folder and began reading it.

First in order was her boss' schedule; according to it, the Nostrade girl would fly back home tomorrow. Behind his skull crest, Feitan scowled. He couldn't go after the Woman with the Flute now; he had his game to play and tomorrow she'd be on the other side of the country.

Second was what little useful information Shalnark could find about her professional and personal life.

_Senritsu is a professional Music Hunter. _

_There are rumours that her look is the result of listening to the flute solo of the Sonata of Darkness – a piece supposedly composed by Satan himself – and that she is now searching for the scores of the remaining three solos: violin, piano and harp._

_She is currently working as a bodyguard to the Nostrade Family._

The small thief raised a curious eyebrow when his eyes met a specific term: Sonata of Darkness.

When they first met, the Woman with the Flute was looking for some page. She believed Feitan had it with him and, despite being ordered to leave, she kept her ground; she had wanted that page enough to risk her life for it. No doubt, that page was from the Sonata of Darkness.

Interested in Feitan's interest in the small bodyguard, Shalnark observed his fellow thief as he read the info in the folder. There was no mistaking the predatory and possessive glint in the torturer's eyes, as if that female bodyguard was a brand new copy of that Greed Island game Feitan had been craving until today. For reasons unknown to Shalnark, Feitan was deeply interested in that Senritsu woman. It was almost as if he wanted to _acquire_ her...

"Shalnark."

Feitan's voice brought the blonde back to reality.

"Can you do me other favour?"

"Sure! What do you want?"

"Spread rumour on the net. Say there's page of Sonata of Darkness inside Greed Island game."

Shalnark's eyes twinkled in understanding. "Oh! You're going to make the bodyguard come to you in the game, huh? Smart move! Can I just ask you something?"

Feitan nodded.

"You don't want to kill her, do you?"

Beneath his skull crest, Feitan smirked. As always, Shalnark was too smart for his own good.

"No. I no want to kill her."

"Then, why trying to reach her? That's not like you, Feitan."

"Pakunoda is gone. Nothing will come close to her power to read memories. But, bodyguard can read heartbeats." Feitan stared directly in Shalnark's eyes and, though his skull crest covered his mouth, the blonde knew the torturer had a disturbingly possessive smile on his lips. "Don't think it as good replacement as it get?"

* * *

Shalnark didn't buy it.

As the technician used a LAN house's PC to search the net for information about the Greed Island game to which Feitan and Phinks had gone to, he thought about the former's words and behaviour of about an hour ago and reached one conclusion:

Feitan had lied to him.

There was just no way in hell that the torturer was just after a replacement for Paku's skills. The glint in his eyes was too possessive for him to simply want another "comrade". Feitan did not see that bodyguard as a possible future member of the Troupe; he saw her as an item that should belong to him and him alone, much like his precious umbrella/sword, which he didn't allow anyone else to touch.

Shalnark didn't understand why.

However, he honestly didn't care much. To each his own. Feitan surely had his reasons to want to collect that bodyguard. Also, Feitan wasn't wrong; that bodyguard's hearing could come in handy in the future. Especially to the Troupe's unofficial interrogator.

Overall, wanting to own a person wasn't any more fucked up than many of the bizarre situations of the past. Every now and then, a member of the Troupe would crave something weird. As a matter of fact, it was because of one of those singular cravings that they had massacred the Kuruta clan and stolen their eyes; Kuroro had been simply mesmerized by their deep scarlet hue and had needed to have them, even if just for a few days. This time, it just happened to be Feitan's turn to covet something... different.

Shalnark saw nothing wrong with it, and he knew that Feitan wouldn't let a craving stand in the way of the Troupe.

So, he decided to help his torturer friend.

With a grin on his lips, Shalnark opened another web page and started to gossip.

"Hehehe, XOXO."

* * *

It was almost midnight. Senritsu was in her room in the Nostrade's mansion, tired after appeasing one of Neon's tantrums, and ready to retire for the day, when a message popped up on her phone.

_**From: Clef**_

_**To: Senritsu**_

Senritsu's eyes widened.

Clef was a Music Hunter that she had met on the beginning of her career as one. He was the one that had taught her and her friend, Fife, about the Sonata of Darkness' existence, and, after her friend, Fife, played the flute solo to her, Clef was the one that helped her recover. It had been months since they last talked to each other.

_**Hello, Senritsu. It has been a long time.**_

_**I don't know if you've heard, but there has been rumours about another page of the Sonata of Darkness. Considering… you know… what happened, I thought you'd like to check it out. It seems there is one page inside that Greed Island game.**_

_**At first, I was a little sceptical. You know how it is: you can't trust everything you see on the net and all that jazz. But there are too many sites saying the same thing, and I even found info about that on the Hunters' website. Anyway, I sent the links about the rumour to your email so you could check the source for yourself. **_

_**I hope you're doing well. I know it has been months since we last talked but… you know… I still worry about you.**_

_**Take care,**_

_**Clef**_

Forgetting about her fatigue, Senritsu grabbed her hat and ran to the closest 24h LAN house she could find to check her email, ignoring the strange look she received from Kurapika as she all but sprinted out of the Nostrade mansion.

Apart from the owner and herself, the LAN house was completely empty as Senritsu sat down at one of the computers to check her email.

As expected, there was a message from Clef with a long list of sites that talked about the appearance of a page of the Sonata of Darkness inside the Greed Island game. One of the links was, indeed, to the Hunters' website, a trusted source of information.

After checking each and every link, Senritsu dropped her back on the chair support and retrieved her phone.

_From: Senritsu_

_To: Killua_

_Hello, Killua. It's Senritsu._

_I'm sorry to bother you, but did you and Gon manage to get one of the copies of the Greed Island game?_

To the Music Hunter's surprise, the answer came immediately.

_**From: Killua**_

_**To: Senritsu**_

_**We couldn't afford any of the copies, but we did figure out a way to get into the game. There is this tycoon called Battera, who is buying all of the copies and will be looking for people to play the game for him. There is going to be a screening to select the players and we're going to take part in it.**_

_**Why are you asking? **_

_**Oh, by the way, Gon is asking how you and Kurapika are doing.**_

Senritsu smiled.

_From Senritsu_

_To: Killua_

_So it happens that I want to play this game as well. When will the screening happen?_

_Tell Gon, I'm doing pretty well and that I miss you two. Kurapika is doing pretty well too. Everything has been extremely calm around the Nostrade mansion._

_**From: Killua**_

_**To: Senritsu**_

_**Really? You thinking about taking part of the screening? What about your job there?**_

_**Anyway, the screening will happen in three days, on the last day of the auctions.**_

_**Gon says he's looking forward to playing with you. :D **__**(yes, he demanded me to put the smiley face…)**_

Senritsu let out a chuckle.

_From: Senritsu_

_To: Killua_

_I'm taking the screening because there has been rumours about the item I'm hunting – the Sonata of Darkness - being in the game. Don't worry about my job with the Nostrade. Kurapika is kind of our leader so I'm sure that, if I explain the situation to him, he'll let me go to check the rumours and accept me back once I'm done._

_Tell Gon I'm looking forward to play with you him and you, as well. _

_We'll see each other in a few days,_

_Bye, bye._

_-o-_

_From: Senritsu_

_To: Clef_

_Thank you for the heads up, Clef. I checked the sources and believe it'll be a good idea for me to go into the Greed Island game and check out this rumour._

_And don't worry about me; I'm doing good. __I hope you're doing well, too._

…

_Clef, what happened to me and Fife was not your fault. No one is to blame for it. I really hope you understand that._

_Take care,_

_Senritsu_

With that, Senritsu left the LAN house and made her way back to the Nostrade mansion to talk to Kurapika and let him know she'd have to absent herself from her duties as a bodyguard for an undetermined – but, hopefully, short – amount of time. She wasn't worried about that, though; she knew Kurapika would understand her reasons.

Still, as she walked through the empty and poorly illuminated streets, back to the Nostrade's mansion, Senritsu couldn't help but sigh in dread. The Music Hunter didn't like York Shin. The only truly good thing that came from her stay there was meeting Basho, Kurapika, Gon, Killua and Leorio; the rest was death, pain and tears.

_It's for the Sonata of Darkness. _Senritsu reminded herself. _  
_

At the same time, she pushed the images of the members of the Phantom Troupe to the back of her mind. Hopefully, she wouldn't meet any of them this time.

* * *

**LAN (local area network) house: a place where you can use a computer and access the internet.**

**The reasons for things to be so calm with the Nostrade family is that it has been only one day since they went back to the Nostrade mansion, so they still don't know that Neon lost her power.**

**Clef is an OC, but Fife isn't; he is that friend o****f Senritsu's who played the Sonata of Darkness and died.****I didn't find anywhere his name, so I'm calling him Fife. Any guesses to where that name came from?**

**Hope you liked the chapter. :)**

**Kisses, Redvoid**


	3. Door x And x Nocturnal

**Thank you, Yandere Shoujo, pitou77, Bai-Feng333 and Luxurien for your reviews to last chapter. They made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. =.=**

**Another thank you is in order to Luxurien for helping me out and editing this chapter. :D**

**Some curiosities you may like to know before reading this chapter: **

**divertimento/divertissement: a style of light, often occasion-specific, instrumental music arranged in several movements..**

**nocturne: a moderately slow piece, usually for piano, of dreamy, contemplative character and song-like melody. **

**(please, have in mind that I'm no music expert; I get this information from the internet, so it may be wrong.)**

**Music recommendation: Notturno – Alessandro Safina**

* * *

_Three days later._

Gon and Killua were on the streets of York Shin, standing in a long line that lead to the front of the theatre Battera had rented to do the screening for the Greed Island game. Gon turned his head from side to side, looking for a flautist Music Hunter. When he found her, a big smile broke on his face.

"Senritsu!" Gon called loudly as he waved to the small woman.

Killua knocked on the back of his friend's head. "Idiot! There's no need to scream. She can hear our heartbeats, remember?"

"Hehe! Sorry!"

Senritsu, who had heard every word, chuckled as she approached the boys.

"Sorry for making you wait." Senritsu spoke softly. "I overslept a little."

"Jetlag?" Killua guessed with a small smile and the woman nodded.

"Don't worry!" Gon reassured excitedly. "You're here now! That's what matters! We're really glad we'll have someone else playing with us, ne, Killua?" The former assassin nodded. He liked Senritsu well enough; it would be nice having her in the team. "Ne, what is that dark song you're looking for?"

"The Sonata of Darkness. It's a score of music said to have been composed by Satan himself; there are four solos – piano, flute, violin and harp. When humans play, or even listen to its melody, a great misfortune falls upon them." Senritsu explained. "I want to find all of the solos and destroy them."

"You… listened to it, didn't you?" Gon asked in a sad voice.

Smiling sadly, Senritsu nodded. "Yes. I gained my oversensitive hearing from listening to it, but, in exchange, I now look like this. I don't want this to happen to anyone else."

Senritsu didn't need to hear the boys' heartbeats to know that they felt sad for her and that they wanted to help. It made her happy to know how much they cared for her, but, at the same time, she disliked how sad it made the boys.

"Don't worry about me." Senritsu reassured with a smile. "I'll find a way to return to my original body. Even if I have to give up my hearing to do so."

Gon and Killua's sad looks left their faces as they nodded to the Music Hunter. Their heartbeats went from a sad requiem to a heart-warming divertimento.

"Ah, the line is moving!" Gon spoke, voice back to its cheery tone. "I'm sure we will all pass the screening!"

* * *

All three did pass, and went to Battera's mansion together, where they were assigned to a game console.

Gon was the first to enter the game, Senritsu was the fifth and Killua was the eighth.

"We're being watched." Killua spoke as soon as he joined his friends in the game. Gon and Senritsu nodded. "I don't see any towns nearby. Senritsu, can you hear something?"

"Yes. I can hear many heartbeats and voices coming from that way and that way." She spoke, pointing to the respective directions. "If we walk for a few miles in either direction, I'm sure that we'll find a town."

"And what about the people who are watching us?"

"They are planning something, but I don't think they're particularly dangerous."

Gon and Killua dropped their heads to the side. "What do you mean?"

"Their heartbeats aren't very erratic, which shows me they have done this before, but they are also a bit anxious. This, combined with the fact that we can feel them watching us from such a distance leads me to believe they are amateurs. They may have been playing this game for longer than us but they shouldn't be that strong."

"Well, let's go then!" Gon spoke eagerly, observing the green fields around him with awe and excitement.

Killua nodded. "Yeah, regardless of who is watching, we should find a town to gather information."

* * *

Besides a quick encounter with another player, who used some sort of seemingly harmless spell card on Killua, the trio was able to arrive to the first town – Antokiba – without problems. The place was bubbling with players and NPCs.

"Look!" Gon called, pointing to a large billboard.

"Anatokiba Monthly Tournament Scheduled." Killua and Senritsu read in unison.

"There is a rock-paper-scissors tournament this month!" Gon exclaimed.

"The prize is a Sword of Truth." Killua spoke.

"Is that an important item?" Gon asked.

"I believe so." Senritsu spoke. "Many of the heartbeats around us are very excited about the prize."

"Then, we should participate!" Gon announced. "Let's try to win all kind of prizes!"

"Of course." Killua agreed. "But let's not forget that we should also gather information."

Gon and Killua's stomachs chose that exact moment to remind their owners of their existence.

GROOOOWL.

Senritsu chuckled at the boys' embarrassed faces.

"Why don't you two go eat something while I gather information?" The Music Hunter offered. "We'll move at a faster pace this way."

"Alright." Killua agreed with a nod. "We'll meet again in front of this billboard in two hours."

* * *

Senritsu walked around asking the NPCs for information about the game and asking the players if they had heard something, _anything_, about a sheet of music. It all seemed fruitless and, for a moment, she feared that the rumours on the net had been just that: rumours.

With a dejected sigh, Senritsu made a 180 degrees turn and was about to go back to the meeting place but stopped herself when melodious and low whispered verses reached her sensitive ears. It was so low that Senritsu doubted anyone else could hear them.

"No, no, no… Don't play it for me. No, no, no… I don't want to hear it. No, no, no… Must destroy that tune… Yes, yes, yes… Or it'll be your ruin. No, no, no… Don't play it for me…"

Senritsu followed the whispered verses through a dark and narrow alleyway that led her to a rusted iron door, dirtied by bloody handprints. From inside the door, Senritsu could still hear the mumbling, but… there was nothing else besides it. No breathing and no heartbeat.

Still, the Music Hunter laid her hand on the door and pushed it. It didn't bulge.

She tried to open the door again. It _hissed _at her:

"**What is the song of death?"**

Senritsu didn't have to think about the answer.

"The Sonata of Darkness."

Something clicked and the door opened.

"**I've been waiting."**

Clenching her flute in her left hand, Senritsu walked through the door.

* * *

In the castle of Limeiro, the capitol city of Greed Island, Dwun, one of the game's creators, ran off the landfill he called his room and through the corridors of the castle in such a speed that one would think he was running from an "excited" Hisoka.

"NOCTURNAL!"

Inside one of the many rooms of the castle, a violin stopped playing. With a sigh, its owner put the instrument inside its velvet-padded box and walked to his clothes hanger, from which he retrieved a black, satin, hooded cloak. From his desk, covered with music sheets and fountain pens, he grabbed a full-face white mask made of ceramic.

Placing the mask on his face, the hood over his head and fastening the cloak tightly around his body, the man walked to his door and opened it, just in time to see Dwun standing in the corridor, hand raised and ready to knock.

"Nocturnal!" Dwun exclaimed, looking up at the tall and lanky man before him. "You won't believe it!"

With an elegant movement of his hand, Nocturnal urged Dwun to go on.

"Your event has been triggered! Someone has started the 'Path to Hell' quest!"

Behind his mask, Nocturnal's eyes doubled their size and his jaw dropped. Without a word, he turned around and walked back into his room with trembling legs and sat down on the first place he found - his piano bench.

Inviting himself inside, Dwun followed his fellow Game Master, taking in the many instruments and musical sheets laying around the elegantly furnished room with awe. It seemed that Nocturnal had learned how to play another two instruments – the clavier and the bassoon – and composed many new pieces in the last month they had not talked. Really, the tall man's musical genius never ceased to amaze Dwun.

"Are you… are you sure about that?" Damn, even the man's voice was melodious.

"Yes. A small woman has just entered the door in Antokiba."

"…Leave me."

"What?"

"I said. Leave me." Nocturnal repeated, his voice dropping an octave in threat. "NOW!"

More startled than scared, Dwun ran out of Nocturnal's room, closing the soundproof door behind him. Standing in the corridor was none other than List, another Game Master.

"What did you do this time, Dwun-san?" List demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What?! I did nothing!" Dwun spoke. "I just came to tell him that his event has been triggered."

Surprised, List dropped his arms to his sides. "I see…"

"Shouldn't he be happy?" Dwun asked as he stalked away from Nocturne's room. "I mean, this is the first time someone has even _found _his event since we made the game!"

"I think he _is_ happy." List spoke, following Dwun. "He just doesn't know it yet. You know how Nocturnal is; he needs time to let his emotions settle in him."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm curious… What kind of music do you think he'll compose this time?"

"What do you mean?"

"Nocturnal always composes songs and melodies when he is overwhelmed by emotions." Dwun explained. "So far, we have listened to many requiems, nocturnes, serenades and god-knows-what-more from when he felt sadness, anger, shame, pity or whatever. However… I've never seen him happy before. I wonder what kind of music he'll compose…"

"I think it doesn't really matter what kind of music he'll compose this time." List settled.

Dwun blinked. "Huh?"

"Whatever it is, I just know it'll be beautiful."

* * *

Inside his room, Nocturnal stood still on his piano bench for a long time, trying to understand what it was that he was feeling. This emotion… it was familiar. He had felt it before; he was sure of it. But, it had been a long time ago, before his great mistake.

The man raised his eyes to glare at the violin solo of the Sonata of Darkness that was in his shelf, locked in a Nen-enforced glass case.

He had been so young and arrogant…

Nocturnal knew the stories behind the Sonata of Darkness, had been warned about its dangers, and had felt its curse sweep into him as he began playing the violin solo. Yet, he continued to play until he had finished its first movement. When the melody had ended, Nocturnal's heart tightened so much he thought his life would end with it.

Next thing he knew, he was lying on a hospital bed, completely disfigured, and being watched over by an Archaeological Hunter called Ging Freecs.

"_I felt a macabre Nen coming from your room in the hotel and barged in; hope you don't mind it. Anyway, I found you sprawled on the floor, almost dead, and brought you here. You know, it's a good thing you're an Enhancer, or else, you'd most likely be dead right now." _

Nocturnal owed his life to Ging and the later made sure to collect that debt.

"_You'll help me create the most wonderful game in the world! And I want to put that solo of yours in it."_

Nocturnal had protested against putting the piano solo of the Sonata of Darkness in the game. He wanted to destroy it.

"_I forbid you from destroying it. Such a rare artefact should be hunted, not discarded. We'll put it as a card in the game; its number will be 666. I'll leave you in charge of creating a quest that leads to this special melody of yours."_

It was a special melody indeed; he couldn't deny. And beautiful. The most beautiful melody he had ever played.

But it came with a price.

Nocturnal stood up and walked to the full-length mirror in his room. Then, he removed his mask and let his robe fall from his shoulders. Only wearing his pants, the man stared at his reflection in the mirror, taking in every detail.

His body had been graceful once - lean, but well-built with muscles – now it was nothing more than thin bones, covered by scaled and deformed skin.

In the past, his face had often been described as handsome and his smile as charming. Now, his cheeks were sulked, his eyes were completely black and his lips were no more, giving him a perpetual smile that one would imagine on the mouth of the Reaper himself.

Years ago, Nocturnal had a luscious head of black hair, but now his head was covered only by a skin so thin that one could see the cracks of his skull through it.

Once more, the Game Master glared at the violin solo on his shelf, but soon his eyes softened.

That solo would soon be destroyed.

The quest to find the Sonata of Darkness card - 'Path to Hell' - was an absolute secret in the game; not even all of the Game Masters knew about it. And not even Ging knew where it lead to.

There was only one clue to the 'Path to Hell' quest: the whispered mumbling in the starting cities of Antokiba and Rubicuta. Nocturnal knew that no normal person could ever hear that mumbling. Only one like him, cursed by the Sonata of Darkness would be able to do it. That made the Sonata of Darkness the only SSS card in the whole Greed Island game.

Ging wanted someone to hunt the Sonata of Darkness, so Nocturnal would make someone hunt it – and, damn, he was going to make that person hunt it _well_. But, only someone who understood its dangers. Only someone who would destroy it, _burn _it.

Still smiling his Grim Reaper's smile, Nocturnal sat at his desk, grabbed his favourite fountain pen and pulled a blank sheet of paper to him.

He had a sonata of his own to compose.

* * *

**Unfortunately, no Feitan here. :( **

**Sorry about that, but I had to give some explanations about this Nocturnal guy. I'd feel bad just throwing the Sonata of Darkness in the game without explaining why it was there... ****Sooooo, in this fic, Nocturnal is the 'N' of G.R.E.E.D. I.S.L.A.N.D. and, as you probably guessed, his name came from the music term 'nocturne' that I explained above. :)**

**Despite the lack of Feitan in this chapter (don't worry, he'll be here for the next one), I hope you enjoyed it. :D**

**Kisses, ****RedVoid **


	4. Beginning x The x Quest

**I'm sorry for taking longer than usual to post the chapter, but I was on a trip. :)**

**That said, thank you Yandere Shoujo and pitou77 for reviewing to last chapter. Thanks everyone that fav/alerted this fic. And thank you Luxurien for helping me out in editing this chapter. :)**

**Warning: there will be some torture described in this chapter. I don't think it warrants a raise in the rating, but, if you think it does, please let me know. I kind of suck in choosing the rating... =.=**

**Music suggestion: ****Promise (piano cover) – Akira Yamaoka (Silent Hill 2 OST)**

**Well, I hope you enjoy the chapter. ;)**

* * *

_"**What is the song of death?"**_

_Senritsu didn't have to think about the answer._

_"The Sonata of Darkness."_

_Something clicked and the door opened._

_"**I've been waiting."**_

_Clenching her flute in her left hand, Senritsu walked through the door._

* * *

Senritsu found herself in the most disturbing place she had ever been in. It was a small room with four broken and bloodied instruments in one corner – a piano, a violin, a flute and a harp. Spread on the floor were many unlit candles; the room's only source of light was the open door behind the woman.

Said door closed on its own, plunging the Music Hunter into darkness. Senritsu heard her heart beat faster in fear. The darkness made Senritsu feel uneasy, but it didn't scare her. What made her afraid was how the door cut out all sound from the outside when it closed. For the first time in her life, Senritsu found herself in absolute _silence_ and it terrified her. The only heartbeat she could hear was her own and it was playing a dark melody, full of fear and anguish…

Fruitlessly, Senritsu pulled the sides of her hat down, over her ears. _Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop._

"You don't want to hear it either, do you? No, no, no… Why would you? It's not true. No, no, no…"

Suddenly candles lit up in the room revealing a crouched form on the floor, right in front of the floor instruments, staring at Senritsu with wide eyes. It was a woman, naked and skeletal, who was rocking herself back and forth slowly, as if her body would dismantle at any brusque movement. The woman was a NPC and therefore lacked a heartbeat, yet her hoarse whispers were more than enough to sooth Senritsu.

"Who are you?" The Music Hunter asked, taking a step towards the woman. "Do you want to leave this place? I can help you."

"You don't want to hear it either, do you? No, no, no… Why would you? It's not true. No, no, no…"

"Please, let me help you."

"You don't want to hear it either, do you? No, no, no… Why would you? It's not true. No, no, no…"

Senritsu furrowed her eyebrows, it seemed the woman wasn't listening to her._ As a NPC, the woman has a limited set of phrases to say. What if…_

"What don't you want to hear?"

The woman stopped rocking her body.

"The song of death. No, no, no… The devil's breath on your neck. No, no, no… You must burn it. Yes, yes, yes… You must commit. Yes, yes, yes…"

Senritsu nodded her head. "I commit. I will burn it. Now, would you tell me where this song of death is?"

"No pain, no gain. No, no, no… You must risk your life and use your brain. Yes, yes, yes… It's risky to play with death. Yes, yes, yes… Think well before you risk following this cursed path."

As soon as that last verse left the woman's mouth, the iron door opened itself, allowing sunlight to charge into the room. Senritsu's eyes closed in response to the sunlight's assault and when she opened them again, the woman and the instruments had disappeared.

From outside voices and heartbeats filled Senritsu's ears again.

* * *

"Gon, Killua." Senritsu called as she approached both boys. "I'm sorry I'm late."

"Are you alright, Senritsu?!" Gon asked almost desperately, his heartbeat was a symphony of worry and relief. "We thought the Bomber had attacked you!"

"Bomber?"

"Yes, he is the one who is killing players in the game with those explosions from earlier." Killua explained. At seeing Senritsu confused expression, he raised a curious eyebrow. "I mean, you did hear the explosion, didn't you?"

Senritsu's eyes widened. That door she went through had to be nothing short of a perfect soundproof system to be able to keep even the sound of an explosion from her ears.

"I was in a soundproof room." Senritsu explained. "I couldn't hear anything."

"Soundproof room?" Gon echoed. "Oh! Did you find any leads on the Sonata of Darkness?"

Senristu didn't hesitate. "Unfortunately, no. I asked many people here, but no one had heard anything about a sheet of music. I think the rumours on the net were just rumours after all... I'm sorry, but I also wasn't able to gather any useful information about the game from the NPCs; whenever I asked something, they'd say: 'Uh? What's that?'"

"We had the same problem." Killua spoke with a nod. "But, we did find some experienced players who explained some things to us. Do you want us to fill you in?"

"Please."

* * *

"What are you going to do now, Senritsu?" Killua asked after he finished his explanation. "If there isn't a page from the sonata, there's no reason for you to stay here, right?"

"Killua!" Gon scolded.

"What?!"

"It seems like you WANT Senritsu to leave us!"

"What?! No, Senritsu, I wa-"

"Don't worry. I know from your heartbeat that it was an honest question." Senritsu reassured softly. "But, you're right; there is no reason for me to stay here if there isn't a page of the sonata in the game."

"Could it be that you won't find information about the page until later on?" Gon offered.

"I don't think so, Gon." Senritsu spoke with a shake of her head. "The Sonata of Darkness is an extremely rare item. If it really were in the game, people would have been looking for it since the start. I'll ask around the city a little more, but if I don't find anything I'll leave the game. Maybe it would be best for us to split up."

Senritsu could hear in the boys' heartbeats that they were honestly sad to hear that. At the same time, she couldn't tell them that she had found something about the sonata. Both boys would demand to help her and that would slow them down in achieving their own objective: to clear the game. As much as she liked Gon and Killua, Senritsu wouldn't remain in their company if it meant being a burden to their progress.

* * *

Once she was by herself, Senritsu started to ask around about 'risk'. It was the only term the NPC in that room had used more than once, so she could safely assume that it was the most useful tip she had been given.

"Risk?" An NPC echoed. "Are you looking for a Risky Dice?"

Senritsu had no idea what that was but she said yes.

"What do you need a Risky Dice for? They are only useful in Dorias, the Gambling City."

Senritsu smiled softly. Bingo. "And how do I get to Dorias?"

* * *

"Another cheap map?" Phinks complained, examining the map he and Feitan had just stolen from another player, who was now lying dead by their feet.

"But, he carrying lot spell cards." Feitan commented.

"Well, let's split up for now. In one week, we'll meet in Masadora." Phinks smiled sadistically. "It's a contest to see who can kill more players."

"Okay. Just be sure to take cards first."

As he walked away from Phinks, Feitan wondered if the Woman with the Flute had managed to get in the game yet. If so, how could he find her?

A sadistic smile stretched on the torturer's lips. He'd have to ask someone.

* * *

Inside one of the many forests of Greed Island, a deafening scream tore through the air as a player cried out in pain. Blood spurted out from the man's right index finger.

"AHHHHH! PLEASE STOP!" The player was tied to a tree-trunk; his back pressed against the wood and his arms stretched wide open. "PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING! PLEASE!"

Feitan was standing in front of the man's right hand with a bloodied gripper in his left hand. Between the gripper's clutch parts, there was a nail. On the victim's right index finger, there wasn't.

"Uh? Already?" The torturer asked in disappointment as he let the nail fall to the ground. "Tsk, I took only one nail."

"P-Please…"

"Give me all cards."

"A-Alright. Book!"

Silently, Feitan retrieved all of the cards from his victim.

"How I find someone in game?"

"Uh?"

Feitan smiled and tore another nail from the man's hand. "Wrong answer."

"AHHHH! Accompany! Accompany will take you to anyone you've met in the game!"

"If I no met person? How I find her?"

"W-What do you mean? I don't und-AHHHH! PLEASE! STOP!"

The man lost a third nail.

"If. I. Not. Met. The. Person. Yet? How I find her?"

"Ah! …I-I don't know- AHHHHH!"

There went a fourth nail.

"PLEASE! I DON'T KNOW!"

"Be creative."

"I-I-I…" The man's eyes widened as Feitan's gripper closed around the last nail of his right hand; his thumb's nail. "WAIT! R-Risky Dice! You may be able to find her with Risky Dice!"

Feitan halted his movements, but never removed his bloodied gripper from the man's nail. His victim noticed it and explained his words.

"Risky Dice may increase your luck! You may find her faster that way!"

The gripper started to pull on the nail. "May?"

"It's a gamble! The Risky Dice may make you lucky or bring you misfortune! P-Please… it's the only way I can think of."

"And where I get Risky Dice?"

"Dorias! T-There's a quest to find the card in Dorias!"

Silently, Feitan opened his gripper and lifted it from the man's nail, leaving it in its natural place.

"T-Thank you…"

"Why you thanking me?" Feitan asked with a psychotic smile on his lips.

The victim's eyes widened in fear. A second later, his head was rolling on the grass.

* * *

Senritsu arrived in Dorias without trouble. The monsters she found on her way there were weak and easily handled, and the other players weren't that big of a nuisance. A few of them had approached her, but once they saw that she had no cards in her binder, they left her alone. One had used a God Eye card on her, but the Music Hunter just shrugged it off; she didn't plan on getting any of the Restricted Slots Cards – unless the Sonata of Darkness was one of them – so there was no reason for her to mind someone watching which cards she put in her binder.

Dorias was a luxurious city, full of stores and boutiques, with an enormous, castle-like casino in its centre. The Music Hunter started to walk around the city, listening carefully to the voices around her, trying to pick up anything that could be related to the Sonata of Darkness.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Don't miss this chance! Tonight on stage number 666 of our luxurious casino, we'll have a lovely concert and it'll be open for the public! You, Madam, I'm sure you-"

_Stage 666? _

Senritsu quickly marched to where that voice had come from. A couple of miles away, she found a young man, dressed in a fine black tuxedo, handing pamphlets to the people that walked by. That poor NPC wasn't having much luck; no one seemed interested in his concert.

"Don't even bother." A player, tall and bulky, noticing Senritsu's intention of talking to the NPC, said to the Music Hunter. "You won't get anything good from doing that quest. I did it a couple of nights ago and all I received was a worthless souvenir brochure. Its card wasn't even worth any money."

This player was saying the truth. He bore Senritsu no ill intent.

"Was the music good at least?" Senritsu asked, smiling up at the man.

"Uh? The music? I guess so... If you're into sitting on your ass to listen to music for two whole hours that is."

"I'm a Music Hunter." Senritsu explained.

"Ah, well, in that case, give it a shot. You may find it worth it."

"I will. Thank you."

Senritsu walked to the tuxedo wearing NPC, who opened a big smile at finally being approached by someone.

"You there, Miss! You seem like someone who knows how to appreciate art! Wouldn't you like to come and listen to the most beautiful concert of your life?"

Senritsu smiled and nodded her head.

"Wonderful! Here, take this pamphlet; it has all the details about it. Now, if you'd on-"

_Ba-bump, Ba-bump, Ba-bump_

_Bump…_

Senritsu's left hand gripped her flute and her jaw dropped slightly when her ears picked up a cold and murderous heartbeat walking intently in her direction. If Senritsu were to compare this heartbeat to a melody, it would, undoubtedly, be a requiem – a song that announced death.

It was very rare for Senritsu to find such a heartbeat, but what really surprised the Music Hunter was how familiar this specific one was. Senritsu could place exactly where and when she had heard it - such a particular tune would never be erased from her mind and even though it wasn't exact as she remembered, it's cold-blooded essence remained the same.

Memories of an encounter many years ago came to mind.

"Miss! Miss!" The NPC called, forcing Senritsu out of her thoughts. "If you could, please tell me your name so I can put you on our guest list?"

"Senritsu. My name is Senritsu."

With that, the small woman turned around, already knowing who she would find standing there, right behind her. As suspected she found the man she had met once, in Meteor City, years ago.

He was exactly as she remembered: short (though still a good head taller than her), black hair, cold eyes, even colder heartbeat… The only thing that changed on his appearance in the passing of the years were his clothes. However, even that change of outfit was familiar to her, since she had seen his photograph in York Shin City.

_Spider. _

Inside her head, Senritsu could imagine Kurapika's raging heartbeat to such a precision that she swore the blonde was beside her, glaring daggers at the thief. She could hear her own heartbeat as well, and it was speeding up at an alarming speed.

Tightening her grip around her flute, Senritsu raised her gaze to the man's eyes. Their gazes locked and she heard a heart skip a beat, but she couldn't tell if it had been hers or the man's.

"What about you, Sir?" The NPC asked, turning his head to the man. "What is your name, so I can put it on our guest list?"

Never moving his gaze from her eyes, the man with the cold heartbeat answered the NPC.

"Feitan."

* * *

**Well, that's it! ****Hope you enjoyed the chapter. :D **

**...and that no one sets out to kill me for this cliffhanger. XP**

**Reviews are greately appreciated. ;)**

**Kisses,**

**RedVoid**


	5. Piano x And x Understanding

**My thianks to all that fav/alerted this story and to Yandere Shoujo, pitou77, Luxurien and Colorless Butterfly for reviewing! Also, a big thank you to Luxurien for not only helping me to edit this chapter, but helping me to minimize Feitan's OOCness in this chapter. XD**

******incidental music:****music composed for atmospheric effect or to accompany the action in a predominantly spoken play; the music is not integral to the work even though it may have dramatic significance****.**

**********Warnings for this chapter: OOCness and very strong references to Yandere Shoujo's Eye to Eye. You guys might want to re-read the one-shot. I know I did when writing the chapter. XD**

**Music suggestion: My Sweet and Tender Beast – Eugen Doga**

* * *

"Follow."

It was a simple command spoken in a neutral, almost amicable, voice. The word in itself betrayed nothing of the man with t- no, of _Feitan's _intentions, but his heartbeat did. To the Music Hunter his heartbeat betrayed the thin line he was walking between remaining civil and killing everyone around them.

Senritsu would not give him the small push he needed to go rampant.

"Where would you like to go?"

Feitan raised an eyebrow at the Woman with the Flute's question. It was curious… not the question itself – he had expected that – but the soft way it had been asked, as if she was trying to calm him. If anything, she should be trying to calm herself. Feitan thought she could tell how dangerous he was, but she didn't seem to be at all scared of him. Why was that? Did she honestly think she could take _him_ on? No, she couldn't be so stupid as not to see the power difference between them. So, what in the world was keeping her so calm?

"You no afraid. Why?"

The Woman with the Flute smiled. "Your heartbeat shows me you're ready to strike at a moment's notice. However, I can tell that that animosity isn't directed to me from the way it spikes when someone walks too close to you, but slows down when you return your attention to me. You don't wish to kill me. Not right now, at least."

Beneath his crest, Feitan smirked at the woman's explanation; her ability to read heartbeats exceeded his expectations. Shalnark would be pleased with her in the Troupe.

"We go get room in inn." Feitan answered, at last.

They walked towards the nearest inn; it was quite large and luxurious, like everything else in the city of Dorias. Feitan paid for the room with money he had stolen from other players – and they climbed up the stairs in a tense silence. The room was spacious and clean,with: a large king-size bed, a small table with two chairs, a TV hanging on the wall in front of the bed, a large cushioned armchair and a bathroom annexed to it.

Feitan walked in first and sat down on the bed.

When Senritsu followed Feitan into the rented bedroom, she expected many things: to be interrogated about Kurapika, to be forced to cooperate in a plan to kill the blonde or anything that involved harming the boy, really. What she didn't expect was for Feitan to sit down on the bed and give her one simple and harmless command.

"Play flute." He spoke, laying his hand over his heart. "Mother to the West Sea… it made my heart… Play."

With an understanding smile, Senritsu retrieved her flute and raised it to her lips.

"I've made some changes in the melody since we met… I think you may like it better this way."

She started to play. He did like the "new" song better.

Senritsu listened attentively as the melody and the Nen it carried soothed Feitan's heartbeat and breathing. It was amazing how the man's seemingly permanent violent predisposition gave place to an almost peaceful aura and made his heartbeats, otherwise cold and controlled, turn to a warmer, more relaxed state, all without losing their dangerous edge. It was almost as if the man was coming home through her song.

"终于…" Feitan breathed out in his native language as he allowed his eyelids to drop.

Without missing a note, Senritsu peeked at the relaxed man sitting on the bed before moving her eyes to the clock on the nightstand: 16:57. The concert would begin at 20:00 sharp.

Senritsu began to chain one melody after another. She could spare a couple of hours to give the man before her some peace of mind. Especially if it meant she could keep his thoughts from anything that involved harming Kurapika.

* * *

Senritsu noted when, midway through her performance, Feitan fell asleep.

She didn't stop playing, though. People like him and herself were used to sleeping with part of their brains alert. She knew that the moment she stopped her melody, he would wake up. And, as tiring as it was to play for two hours non-stop – especially considering that she was emitting her Aura with the tunes - the Music Hunter had already committed to giving Feitan a personal performance that would last as long as time allowed it to.

The deadline came at 19:30.

"Why you stop playing?" Feitan demanded as he sat up on the bed, alert the moment silence fell. His heartbeat returning to its cold-blooded rhythm at lightning speed.

"I must go now." Senritsu spoke in a soft but firm voice. "I must be at the concert at 20:00."

Feitan's eyes narrowed dangerously. "No. You stay here and play."

"I can't. There's something I must do there." Senritsu explained, keeping her voice calm, without ever letting go of her flute. "I… I need to get something."

The man's heartbeat hardened at her denial.

"Sonata of Darkness not here. It just rumour."

Pushing her surprise at the fact that the man knew what she was after aside for the moment, Senritsu softly shook her head.

"No. I'm sure there is a page, maybe even a whole solo in this game. I'm on a quest to find it right now and to progress in it I must go to the concert."

"No. Play."

"If you want to listen to more music, why don't you come to the concert as well? Your name is on the guest list." Senritsu offered. She didn't want to fight the man before her - he may want to keep her alive for now, but that didn't mean he'd be against hurting her.

Feitan's hard heartbeat didn't falter.

"If you let me go, I promise to come back and play an even more beautiful melody for you. A special melody."

Feitan's heartbeat gained a little speed; he was interested. "Special?"

"I wrote a beautiful and _long_ piece a couple of weeks ago and haven't played it to anyone yet." Senritsu explained. "You'd be the first to hear it."

The Music Hunter tightened her grip on the flute as she paid double attention to Feitan's indecisive heartbeats. If he still insisted on keeping her there, she'd have no choice but to fight, even if she knew she'd lose.

Finally, the thief's heart slowed down in acceptance and he jumped off the bed.

"Let's go."

* * *

Senritsu didn't need to hear Feitan's heartbeat to know he'd jump at the first chance to murder someone; he didn't even try to hide the enormous bloodlust that his Aura emanated. The few players that had come to watch the concert left as soon as the short thief entered the performance room, leaving the two of them as the only real players watching the musical performance.

The performance room was small but richly decorated. In it there was a small stage with about fifty chairs in front of it.

Senritsu wasn't surprised to see exactly four instruments on that stage, being keyed by their owners before the performance began: a piano, a flute, a violin and a harp.

Despite always having the dreadful memory of the Sonata of Darkness in the back of her mind and the blood lusting Feitan sitting next to her, Senritsu found herself deeply enjoying the concert. The music was as beautiful as the tuxedo wearing NPC had promised her, and the Music Hunter found herself longing to meet its composer.

"_**Enjoying yourself? I'm liking the concert, as well."**_

Senritsu tensed as she turned her head from side to side, examining her surroundings with wide eyes. That… _hiss_ that seemed to echo in the concert room made a shiver run down the Music Hunter's spine.

"What wrong?" Feitan demanded, looking down at Senritsu from the corner of his eye.

"You… didn't hear that, did you? That voice…"

"Voice?"

As she imagined, the voice was too low for other people to hear.

"_**It's not my intention to deter, but which one do you prefer? The piano? The harp? The flute? Or the violin?"**_

Senritsu's eyes widened as she pinpointed the voice's origin.

Without explaining herself, Senritsu jumped off her seat and took off from the room, ignoring Feitan's angry heartbeats as he followed her. She had reached the floor's stairs when the torturer caught up with her.

Feitan grabbed her arm roughly, pulling her up until her wide eyes were practically glued to his narrowed ones.

"What you think you doing?" The thief demanded, digging his fingers painfully on the flabby flesh of Senritsu's arm. "You no escaping!"

"No. That's not it. The voice is coming from the basement. I must go after it; it has one of the solos."

Feitan's grip loosened a little and Senritsu heard his heartbeats slow down. He seemed reassured in finding out she wasn't trying to run from him.

At last, he released her.

"Lead way."

* * *

Senritsu's hand tightened around her flute as she and Feitan ran down the stairs of nothing less than a dungeon. At first, Senritsu had liked the idea of making a casino in the shape of a castle, but putting dungeons in it as well was a little excessive.

"_**Yes! Down, down, down! Hell is down below, after all!"**_

The voice was growing louder, though still not loud enough for Feitan to hear it.

"We're close." Senritsu commented.

"How close?"

"_**Can you feel it? The flames licking at your feet?"**_

At that exact moment, the stone floor opened beneath their feet. Feitan jumped back while Senritsu leaped forwards, just in time to avoid the surge of fire that shot up from the floor. The fire kept itself coming in a strong flow.

Feitan narrowed his eyes at the wall of fire in front of him. It didn't seem to be leaving anytime soon.

"Feitan!" Senritsu yelled, hoping her voice would reach the man's ears. "I'll go on ahead!"

The torturer scowled in anger. "You no getting away."

"I told you before! I'm not trying to-"

"Pain Packer!"

Next thing Senritsu knew, Feitan, dressed in a strange white and red armour, was crossing the wall of fire.

The Music Hunter didn't think twice before jumping back and reading her flute. The man's heartbeats were far too erratic in anger and bloodlust for her to believe that he could be calmed only with words. As soon as Feitan's feet hit the ground, some feet in front of her, Senritsu started to play Wild Flower.

Before the song bestowed its calming effect on the torturer, he jumped in Senritsu's direction, left hand raised and ready to strike. The Music Hunter jumped back once again, barely managing to dodge the blow that descended towards her face. She wasn't hurt, but her flute was sent flying in the air; it hit the stone wall on her side and fell to the ground.

Senritsu's eyes widened and she turned her head to where her flute was. Soon, the armoured figure of Feitan descended on her field of vision, blocking her trusted instrument from her eyes.

Both Nen users stood unmoving for some moments, staring at each other in anticipation. Senritsu imagined a dramatic incidental music playing on the background to represent the chaotic swirl of intentions and 'what if's that were going on in their cores. Feitan's violent and possessive streak clashed with his more rational side, while Senritsu's desire to just run after the Sonata of Darkness and leave the Spider behind battled with an almost maternal need to reassure the man in front of her that she was not abandoning him, as he seemed to think.

"_**What is taking you so long? The gates to Hell won't wait for you to finish listening to the songs."**_

Senritsu discretely checked her wristwatch: 21:16. The concert would end at 22:00, so she had only 44 minutes to find the solo.

Pressed in time, Senritsu decided to risk herself. With a sigh, the Music Hunter relaxed her instance and deactivated her Ken, letting her Aura flow in its calm and harmless Ren.

"Please, I don't want to fight." The woman spoke softly. "I just want to find the Sonata of Darkness and leave this place."

For seemingly everlasting moments, Feitan didn't as much as twitch, but Senritsu knew better than to press the man. His heartbeats were slowly but surely becoming calmer and calmer.

Suddenly, without a word, Feitan let his Pain Packer armour disappear and turned around. Senritsu watched with curious eyes as the short man bent down to pick up her flute from the ground. Still in silence, Feitan walked towards her and raised his hand, offering the flute to her.

With an almost nervous smile, Senritsu took her precious instrument form his hand. "Thank you."

* * *

Until they finished descending to the lowest level of the dungeon, all that Senritsu heard was the symphony composed by the breathing, steps and heartbeats that she and Feitan made. They hadn't exchanged one word since the incident and the whispery voice hadn't made itself known.

Soon they stood in front of two immense iron double doors, as bloodied as the door Senritsu found in Antokiba. Just like that door, this one talked to the Music Hunter. It had the same voice that had drawn Senritsu from the performance room, only it was loud enough for Feitan to hear now.

"_**Where are you headed?" **_

Feitan scoffed, thinking about the wall of fire that had surged from the ground earlier, and answered in mocking voice: "Hell."

"_**Good thing you understand."**_

As the doors clicked and opened, the two Nen users exchanged a look.

"I take it you're good at quizzes?" Senritsu risked.

Feitan shrugged his shoulders. He had joked when he answered that question and didn't expect anything to come from his reply, but he wasn't about to admit that to the small woman.

Without another word, they walked through the doors and into a large room with a grated floor that was decorated by what appeared to be human bones. Senritsu's eyes widened as she took in the blood staining the floor and walls around her, the skulls hanging from the ceiling, and the skeletons impaled by spikes that emerged from the floor. There were random bones littered throughout the room, and not all appeared to be human. On the opposite extreme of the room, there was an old piano; many of its strings had been snatched due to inappropriate use of the instrument.

Senritsu and Feitan heard the scratching sound of iron scraping against the floor. It was the only warning they had before the doors closed themselves behind the duo loudly, plunging the room into darkness.

BAAAAAM!

The violent sound of many keys of the piano being pressed all at once reached Senritsu's sensitive ears, making her cringe at how rough the instrument had been treated and wonder how such a damaged piano could still work so well.

"I've been waiting."

Once again, the cord instrument was abused, producing that violent sound. Along with it, flames rose from the grating floor, around the piano, illuminating it and its musician.

Senritsu's eyes widened even further. The player was tall and ripped with muscles; his skin was as red as fire, two long horns sprouted from his forehead and his clothing consisted only of a pair of tore up black pants. He seemed to be Satan himself.

The creature gave Senritsu a toothy grin.

"Let the performance begin."

With that, the creature's fingers started to dance over the piano's keys, making flames dance beneath Senritsu and Feitan's feet in response. They both started jumping and running from side to side as sudden bursts of fire shot upwards through the grated floor, trying to burn them to the melody's rhythm.

Suddenly, large spikes joined that deathly ballet, emerging from the floor and taking pieces of it with them. Both Nen users exchanged a meaningful look; their moving area was decreasing. They had to end the fight quickly before it became a nuisance.

Never stopping her movements, Senritsu raised her flute to her lips and started playing.

_Winter's Freeze. A melody that will slow down the speed of the brain's synapses, making one opponents' movements and thinking lethargic for 10 seconds. _

Feitan noticed that, as soon as the notes started to leave the flute, the creature's playing rhythm slowed down significantly, almost completely stopping, and so did the bursts of flames and the raising of spikes from the ground. The thief didn't waste his chance, he grabbed his umbrella-sword and jumped towards the piano player. Blade unsheathed, Feitan sliced the thing's head off of its neck.

Noticing the decapitation, Senritsu lowered her flute and allowed herself to relax slightly.

As soon as she did, the creature's hands slammed on the piano keys once again and produced a spike from the floor right beneath the Music Hunter's feet.

Senritsu heard the spike rising towards her before feeling it and jumped to avoid deadly damage. However, the Music Hunter wasn't fast enough to come unscathed; the spike managed to reach her left foot while she was in the air, piercing it completely.

On her place, with her feet stuck on the spike, Senritsu heard Feitan's heartbeat speed up in barely contained anger and possessiveness. However, before the man delivered another blow to the creature's body, Senritsu yelled:

"The piano! Destroy the piano!"

Feitan understood immediately the reason behind Senritsu's request – no piano, meant no more sound, hence no more danger - and complied with it. Using his sword, the thief sliced the instrument, reducing it to pieces of wood, strings and iron laying on the floor.

The pianist's headless body stood up from the piano bench and took a step towards Feitan. A slice on the chest was all it took to put it down permanently.

The creature turned into a card upon death: Pianist of Flames / 663 / S-rank.

The piano followed suit: Piano of Hades / 662 / S-rank.

Feitan wasted no time in putting the cards in his Book's unnumbered slots.

By the time Feitan had put the cards away, Senritsu had managed to free herself from the spike and limp her way to him.

"No sonata." Feitan spoke, as soon as the woman was by his side. "Told you so. Just rumour."

"It can't be… The piano, the flute, the harp, the violin… The whispers about death, _hearing_ and hell… There is no way this is all just a coincidence." Senritsu spoke, shaking her head softly. "I must be missing somet-"

"Thank you."

Quickly, Feitan and Senritsu turned around. Floating behind them was none other than the skeletal woman Senritsu had found in that dark room in Antokiba. The Music Hunter was pleased to notice how well she seemed; she was dressed in a white dress, her figure was not as thin and her mad expression gave place to a peaceful smile. NPC or not, seeing the woman in her previous condition made Senritsu's heart ache.

"Thanks to you, I don't need to listen to that horrid melody anymore."The woman continued in her ethereal voice. "As a token of appreciation, I shall grant you this."

A card materialized in Senritsu's hand: Free pass to Masadora's Museum of Music / 1079 / C-rank.

"Enjoy it to your heart's content. I'm sure the visit will bring you closer to your goal."

Giving the duo one last smile, the woman disappeared in thin air.

* * *

Back in the rented room, Senritsu took care of her injured foot as Feitan watched her from his place at the bathroom's door.

"I'm not running away." Senritsu assured, smiling up at the man.

"Tsk. As if you can with injured foot."

"Even if my foot wasn't injured, I wouldn't run. I promised I'd play to you and I will."

Senritsu heard the man's heart skip a beat in surprise at her words, before it quickly regained its cold and murderous rhythm.

"How did… In fight, how did your power slow only opponent? Why I still alright?"

Senritsu pondered if she should tell Feitan about her skills or not. However, the way his heartbeat grew colder at her hesitance convinced her to do so.

"I'm an Emitter type. I use music to emit my Aura to people around me." Senritsu explained. "The other two times I played for you, you felt calmer and at peace, didn't you? That was because I used the sound I produced with my flute to emit a soothing Aura to you. When I played during the fight, did you _feel_ anything?"

Feitan shook his head. "No. I just heard song."

"That's because I can control to whom I emit my Aura, so I focused it on our adversary, making his movements lethargic while maintaining you at top performance." Senritsu didn't tell him that she _couldn't_ use that song on more than one person at a time.

Feitan's eyes widened as if he had discovered a forbidden secret. "_Our _adversary?"

From the man's heartbeats, Senritsu could tell how surprising it was for him to share something with anyone outside of the Troupe, even if it was an enemy. The Music Hunter couldn't help but smile sadly at him; his childhood must have been a harsh and lonely one.

"Yes. _Our_. You helped me a lot in that fight, Feitan. Thank you."

Feitan's heartbeat was in turmoil as those last two words left the Music Hunter's lips. It hadn't been the first time someone had thanked him – many of his victims did so, under the illusion that he had let them go – but it was the first time someone who didn't belong to the Phantom Troupe had actual reason to do so. It was… unfamiliar to receive an honest and well-deserved word of appreciation from someone he didn't know that well.

"Just… finish foot and come to room. I want hear you play."

Senritsu caught some hesitance in the thief's voice, as if he had been surprised by something, but decided not to comment on it and just watched him walk away with pity in her eyes. In the last few hours they spent together, she believed she had gained some understanding about the man, and it showed her that his life had been nothing short of hell.

The possessive way he clang to her, his anger at any action of hers that could be interpreted as an attempt to flee, his despair when she told him she couldn't play anymore because she had to go to the concert… It was all because he feared he would not be able to listen to her music again. After so many years, he still remembered the first time she played to him as his perfect – and, most likely, only - memory of peace. It seemed that her Aura emitting songs were the only way he found to relax himself.

His life must've been a living hell if he needed someone else's Aura to calm down, as if it was some sort of drug that gave him peace from himself. Senritsu wondered if he had ever felt at ease and safe for a moment in his life.

Spider or not, murderer or not, Senritsu wanted to help him.

_He is just clinging to his source of comfort, as any other person would. _

However, she knew she couldn't do much for him; she'd have to leave his side soon to go after the sonata.

She had to remind herself that he wasn't just a human, he was also a _Spider_.

* * *

Feitan dropped his head on the pillows as soon as the Woman with the Flute started playing that special melody she had promised him.

He felt her Aura sweep into him softly with the song and welcomed it with immense pleasure, never once fearing that she'd use it to do him harm. She had had the chance to do so before, and she had let it go without a second fight.

Feitan's thoughts were a pool of memories. Memories of his home land. Memories of his time in Meteor City. Memories of the Phantom Troupe.

Memories of the Woman with the Flute…

The torturer played and replayed the first time they met, as well as these last few hours they spent together in his mind. He couldn't figure this woman out. She was just so different from anyone he had ever met before.

She was an anomaly in his life.

She was clearly educated and he clearly wasn't. However, she never mocked him for his ignorance in certain areas of knowledge. When he admitted to not knowing what a flute was, she didn't think less of him. Whenever he talked, she didn't try to correct him, and she didn't repeat his sentences with correct grammar "just to make sure she had understood it right". He hated it when people did that, as if the words he knew weren't enough for him to communicate with them. And the Woman with the Flute had always listened and responded to him as if his dominion over the language was nothing short of perfect. Even some of his fellow Spiders hadn't behaved in that way when they were still getting to know each other.

She wasn't a thief or a murderer, but she wasn't afraid of him and, above all, she didn't think of herself as better than him because he was one. Feitan knew the Woman with the Flute was completely conscious of the atrocities he was not only able to commit, but also enjoyed doing so. Still, unless that violence was directed to her, she treated him as if he was a normal person; someone she could even grow to call a friend. Years before, she also knew how dangerous he was and yet, when he had helped her bandage her deformed arm, she didn't as much as flinch from his touch.

Even her appearance confused him. As any other person with functioning eyes, Feitan could easily see that the Woman with the Flute was deeply disfigured. Although that didn't bother him, he knew her appearance would be seen as ugly – disgusting - by other people. And yet the woman was very sociable and kind to everyone she met – quite possibly the worst case of a goody two-shoes he could think of. He had no doubt she had been through some fucked up shit in her past, but she still acted as if the world was all butterflies and sunshine.

Feitan truly didn't understand the Woman with the Flute.

_Senritsu, her name is Senritsu._

She made no sense.

However, that didn't really bother him.

* * *

**终于: **** finally (courtesy of Colorless Butterfly - thank you! - I know absolutely nothing of Chinese)**

**Wild Flower: the melody that Senritsu plays to calm Kurapika and keep him from attacking Ubogin directly.**

**Winter's Freeze: yes, I made that up. I'm going with the idea that Wild Flower isn't the only music Senritsu plays when using her Nen and that she has other abilities that the manga/anime doesn't show. I mean, she IS a pro-Hunter; she has to be strong ****enough to take care of herself ****– not Hisoka-strong, of course; that'd be just creepy.**

**Well, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, despite Feitan most likely being a little OOC...**

**And your reviews make my days brighter! But you all already know that... =.=**

**Kisses,**

**RedVoid**


	6. The x Morning x After

**First things first: thank you ****Yandere Shoujo, pitou77, Luxurien and Colorless Butterfly for reviewing. And thank you Luxurien for helping me to edit this chapter as usual. The continued support I receive from all of you is a great boost for my writing, not mention that it makes me really happy to read your reviews. You're all amazing! :D**

******I hope you all enjoy this chapter as well! ;)**

**Music suggestion: Hide and Seek – Imogen Heap**

* * *

On the following day, Senritsu's eyes opened as soon as the room's door closed.

Last night the Music Hunter played her flute for her one-person audience until she had exhausted her Aura and passed out on the armchair she sat in mid-way through her performance.

Still, as tired as she was, Senritsu was a trained pro Hunter so she knew better than to allow her senses to shut down completely as she slept. She kept a part of her brain alert as her body rested for a couple of hours, and that part of the brain always involved her enhanced hearing. Therefore, despite technically being asleep, Senritsu paid attention to everything that Feitan had done in the couple of hours she was "out."

In the first few minutes, the thief's heartbeats had been frustrated by the lack of music and Aura surrounding him. Then, he accepted that there was only so much she could play before hitting her limit and went back to sleep. A couple of hours later, the thief's heartbeat sped up to a deathly waltz and he got off the bed to pace around the room anxiously.

A few minutes later, Feitan couldn't take it anymore and left, locking the door behind him silently, something that prompted the Music Hunter to open her eyes.

Though her eyes were open and alert, Senritsu didn't move a muscle and allowed her ears to follow Feitan's heartbeat as he made his way through the corridors and down the stairs of the inn. Only when she was sure the thief was no longer in the inn did Senritsu raise herself from the armchair.

Feitan had underestimated her, thinking she wasn't capable of keeping herself alert of his movements as she rested and left the room, on the belief he'd be back before she woke up. It was Senritsu's chance of leaving the thief behind and she did not have much time to do so.

She took that chance.

* * *

"Y-You bastar- AGH!"

Not allowing the woman to finish her sentence, Feitan drove his hand into her gut, taking a sadistic pleasure in feeling her warm blood and flesh around it. Enjoying the way the woman's face contorted in pain, Feitan moved his hand slowly inside of her, raising it until it encircled her heart in a painful, but not-yet fatal, grip.

Blood spurted of the woman's mouth as she stared down at the small murderer with hate and fear in her eyes. "W-Why? We gave you our c-cards…"

"Why?" Feitan repeated, widening the demented smile on his lips. "Because I want."

Feitan's fingers pierced the woman's heart shallowly, just enough to make the organ bleed slowly, before he removed his arm from her body, allowing it to drop to the ground. With a sadistic sort of child-like glee in his eyes, the torturer watched the woman at his feet bleed to death.

After she was dead, the torturer bent down to clean his hand on the front of her shirt and took in his surroundings. Thirteen bodies - in different states of integrity - laid around him on the forest's ground.

Feitan had woken up not even an hour before and found Senristsu passed out on an armchair. The thief had half a mind to wake her up so they could move, but decided against it; she needed to recover her Aura if she was to play for him again. It was no good getting himself a music box if he stringed it so tightly that it stopped working.

Still, the thief was in no mood to just sit tight and wait; he had woken up with a great desire to _play_ – a desire he had no intention to deny. Despite preferring long _sessions_, he could manage to have some fun in a smaller amount of time. 20 minutes – 30 tops – would be more than enough, and the woman had to be exhausted from playing to him for hours non-stop. Feitan was sure he'd manage to find some players to play with and return to the room before she woke up.

Now, with the blood lust satisfied and with the binder filled with more cards, Feitan was good to return to his room.

If Senritsu wasn't awake yet, he'd wake her up so they could move. As pleasant as it had been to sleep while she played to him, Feitan did not intend to stay still in a room for days.

However, they were not going on a NPC-hunt just so the woman could progress on her little quest, either. They were going after actual players.

Feitan had his competition with Phinks to win, after all.

* * *

Using Zetsu to hide her presence, Senritsu took her time walking to Masadora.

Sure, Feitan would be murderously angry when he found out she wasn't in the room anymore and chase after her head as soon as he found her missing. And, of course, he knew she was going to Masadora. So, naturally, the most rational thing to do would be _run _to the city, do what she had to do _quickly_, and get out _stat. _

So, why wasn't she doing this?

One: she didn't have any cards to teleport her to the city and, as far as she knew, Feitan most likely did – Senritsu wasn't stupid; she knew the small man had most likely robbed and killed many players in the game already.

Two: if, by any chance, Feitan didn't have a card to take him to Masadora, he'd be running there, so she had to be careful not to let him find her mid-way.

Three: she needed time to think of a plan for how to proceed once she was there. She was sure Feitan would get to Masadora before her and, most likely, stand in front of that Museum of Music waiting for her to show up so he could chop her head off of her shoulders. Senritsu needed to figure out a way to get in the Museum without letting the thief know she was there. That would be hard since her appearance was something hard to hide.

Four: her foot still hurt.

And, five: she was feeling guilty and that slowed her down...

Senritsu was convinced she had made the right choice in walking away from the room as soon as the thief had left it. She knew enough about him to know he wouldn't let her go peacefully and she doubted he'd be willing to follow her on her quest to find the Sonata of Darkness. Also, he was a murderer; a _Spider_. He had killed Kurapika's clan and made the boy suffer for the last five years.

Still, despite knowing of the atrocities Feitan committed against her precious friend, Senritsu couldn't help but feel guilty at leaving him like that. It felt like she was abandoning him.

With a frown, the small woman shook her head. _He is not a child._ _He is a grown man, a Spider. He can take care of himself._

Still, remembering how peacefully – to the standards of a thief/murderer who was used to being chased around at every breath he took – Feitan had slept thanks to her music, Senritsu halted her movements and turned around.

She could still see a part of Dorias' giant, castle-like casino.

* * *

Angry didn't even begin to describe how Feitan was feeling after finding his room empty. He was fucking _wrathful_.

And bitter. Very bitter.

Jaw clenched and shoulders squared, the torturer walked into the empty room, analysing every inch of it through his dangerously narrowed eyes, as he tried to calm himself.

Feitan took pride in his ability to keep a perfectly calm façade even though he was enraged; people only knew of his intentions when he let them know. But, in truth, Feitan was a man who was perpetually on the edge of committing mass-murder, and the fact that Senritsu - a tiny and _weak_ Music Hunter - had managed to escape from him was really pushing the thief to tell the world to go fuck itselfand dive head-first in the abyss of his sadistic side.

Feitan's murderous Aura started to leak from him at an alarming speed and intensity. People from the rooms close by actually ran away in fear from the man.

Feitan knew he could find Senritsu quickly; he had many Accompany cards. It was not fear of losing his music box that made the thief so unstable; it was the audacity of that woman. Who did she think she was to even _try_ to run away from him? When he got his hands on that little bitch, he'd-

"You do realize you're mid-way into giving yourself a heart-attack, don't you?"

Senritsu's voice was like a bucket of cold water falling over Feitan's head; it cooled him off almost immediately, but it didn't end his anger. Slowly, the thief turned around to find Senritsu standing at the room's open door, smiling that soft and calming smile of hers. It all but disarmed the thief.

"I no understand. Why you back? What you doing?"

"I couldn't leave you like that." Senritsu explained. "It wouldn't be right."

Feitan's eyes hardened. "You no leaving any way; I get you back. I decide when, how and _if _you leave."

"I have to retrieve the sonata, Feitan." That was a statement, not a question. It annoyed Feitan greatly. "And you have your own agenda. You can't keep me glued to your side."

A sadistic smile stretched across Feitan's lips. "Want bet?"

"If you force me, I won't play for you anymore."

The smile widened. "You know I'm Troupe's interrogator? You really think I no can _make _you play?"

Senritsu's hand tightened around her flute. "You can try, but you should know that I'm more than willing to give up my own life to search for the Sonata of Darkness. I'm sure you, of all people, understand what that means."

The torturer's smile gave place to an ugly scowl as the image of Pakunoda popped in his mind. Yes, he understood what that meant. It meant the woman would refuse to play for him if he tried to keep her from getting her precious solo, no matter what he did to her. It meant he could torture her halfway into the week, but he still wouldn't get what he wanted from her. He'd kill her before she played for him again.

"And if I help?" Feitan could see his question caught the woman by surprise from the way her jaw dropped ever so slightly. "I can help in quest; it'll be more fast this way. In exchange, you play when I tell you play."

The thief waited for a couple of moments as Senritsu considered his proposition. Slowly, his left hand closed around his umbrella/sword's hilt; if she said no…

"I accept."

The hand let go of the weapon.

* * *

Feitan hadn't been in Masadora yet, so his Return cards wouldn't be able to take him and Senritsu there; they'd have to walk.

Both Nen users decided it would be best if they were to travel on their own and meet in front of the Museum of Music at noon. Senritsu just wanted to get this quest over and done with, while Feitan wished to kill more players - the torturer had murders to go if he wanted to catch up to Phinks.

Therefore, they went on their separate ways. For a couple of hours at least.

As it was to be expected, Senritsu arrived at Masadora a couple of hours before Feitan. The city was very pretty and fun; full of colourful balloons and excited players. Since she had time to spare, Senritsu decided to do a quick recon of the city and take in its sights.

GROOOOWL.

After she found something to eat, that is. The Music Hunter had no jenny but she did have some monster cards from the beasts that she defeated while walking from Antokiba to Dorias and from Dorias to Masadora. Maybe, they'd be worth something?

* * *

"Here you go, Okyaku-sama! I hope you enjoy your meal!"

Senritsu smiled at the waiter NPC and started eating. The Music Hunter had sold her monsters cards at a very good price, that allowed her to pick the best restaurant in the city for her meal. Not only that, the money she had received from those cards would be more than enough to last her for weeks.

_Weeks…_

Senritsu frowned. She was hoping that it wouldn't take her so long to find the solo of the Sonata; she wanted to return to Kurapika as soon as possible. The boy would surely be in need of some help to deal with the Nostrade - both of them. Besides, she didn't want to spend more time with Feitan than absolutely necessary; she already had a soft spot for the man and she didn't want it to grow. He had hurt Kurapika deeply in the past and most likely, planned on doing so again; she couldn't grow to care about the thief, no matter how sad his past was.

Still, despite telling herself that, Senritsu ordered a couple of sandwiches to go before leaving the restaurant. The Music Hunter imagined the thief wouldn't remember to eat something before meeting up with her in front of the Museum and as hard as it was to imagine the man feeling something as mundane as hunger, Senritsu knew he'd have to eat something.

Feitan washuman, after all.

* * *

At 12:00 sharp, Senritsu heard Feitan's heartbeats approach her from behind. Besides its natural cold edge, the man's heart was also beating with a deep satisfaction; he was pleased, but in a different way from when she played to him. A darker way. The Music Hunter didn't have – didn't _want _- to ask why he was so happy.

Instead, she looked at the man from over her shoulder and offered him a hard paper bag. The thief raised an eyebrow.

"It's food." Senritsu explained softly.

Feitan's heartbeat was an explosion of surprise, confusion and suspicion.

"That poisoned."

Senritsu actually laughed at the man's statement, making his heart speed up in anger, believing she was mocking him. The Music Hunter realized he was _this close _to hitting her.

No longer laughing, the woman retrieved one of the sandwiches from the bag, parted a small piece of it and put the piece in her mouth. As she chewed and swallowed the food, Senritsu put the rest of the sandwich in the bag and raised the later to the thief once again.

"You bought me food?" To say that Feitan was surprised was a little bit of an understatement.

"Yes. I thought you might've forgotten to eat something on your way here. Was I mistaken?"

The man remained in stunned silence for a few moments. It was clear no one had ever worried about him spending a whole day without food before and, once again, Senritsu felt a painful thug at her own heartbeat at the man's surprise at such a small show of concern.

Finally, Feitan shook his head and grabbed the bag from the woman's hand. "No… You no mistaken."

Senritsu knew Feitan wouldn't thank her and she didn't expect him to - 'thank you' was probably a word he would never use when talking to her. However, the almost imperceptible way his heartbeats softened at her gesture made the Music Hunter smile.

* * *

******Okyaku-sama: polite way to refer to a customer in japanese.**

**Unlike last chapter, which was quite intense (in my opinion, at least), this one has a sweeter tone to it (it's so weird to use the word _sweet_ when talking about something that involves Feitan...). **

**But, on n****ext one, we get another talking door and another fight! ;) I hope I manage to write a fight as good as the last one for you. =.=**

**Anyway, hope you liked this chapter. Until next time! ;)**

**Kisses,**

**RedVoid**


	7. Flute x Against x Flute

**Hi there! Here I am with the next chapter. :)**

**As always, thank you very much Yandere Shoujo and Luxurien for leaving a review to last chapter. :D**

**And another thanks to Luxurien for once again helping with editing the fic. ;)**

**Music suggestion: La Valse d'Amelie (piano) – Yann Tiersen (personally, I really like the version from an youtuber whose username is TheChiefEmperor)**

* * *

The Museum of Music wasn't all that much. The building was small in area and three stores high and divided in wings according to the instruments: string instruments, wind instruments, percussion instruments and so on. Unsurprisingly, the place was deserted save for Senritsu and Feitan.

The two walked through the Museum's hallways for the better part of an hour without finding anything and the thief was starting to grow impatient, his heartbeats becoming more dangerous by the minute.

"Would you like me to play a song for you?" Senritsu offered, trying to appease the man beside her. Her offer had an effect contrary to the desired, making Feitan even more annoyed.

"I no fucking pet to be calmed by song whenever you want." The thief spat, glaring down at the woman. "Just find clue already."

With a quiet 'sorry', Senritsu doubled her attention on the sounds around her, hoping to pick up any sort of whispers or mumbles, but she had no luck. Soon they were on the last wing of the Museum – the wing of wind instruments – and Senritsu was starting to worry that Feitan might want to leave before they found out what the quest's next step was.

And she was right; Feitan was about to order the Music Hunter to give up this search in the museum when she suddenly halted her movements.

"I hear something." Senritsu spoke, closing her eyes to focus on the sound. "Someone's whispering. _Play, play, play… I can play anywhere. Say, say, say… Why don't you come play with me? Yes, yes, yes… I'm giving you a dare._"

"Where?"

"On the roof."

* * *

Both Nen users ran up the museum's stairs until they reached the door that lead to the roof; it was made of iron and smeared with blood, just as the ones Senritsu had found in Antokiba and Dorias. Just like its predecessors, the door hissed at the Music Hunter and Feitan:

"**Who is the oldest singer of death?"**

Before Senritsu could even think about the answer, Feitan delivered a Nen-enhanced kick to the door. To both of their surprise, the door remained intact.

"Tsk. Door must be enchanted by game spell."

Senritsu agreed. Had it been a regular door, it would've been flying in the air right now. Feitan was surprisingly strong, despite being so small. However, that wasn't important at the moment; Senristu had to focus on the question since it wasn't nearly as obvious the first one.

_Oldest singer of death… Oldest singer of death… Oldest singer of death…_

Unconsciously, the Music Hunter tightened her grip on her flute. Her eyes widened and she raised her instrument to her eyes.

_Oldest! The flute is the oldest musical instrument created by humans, and is one of the four instruments with a solo of the Sonata of Darkness._

Feitan raised an eyebrow as the woman beside him observed the instrument in her hand before smiling at the door.

"The flute." Senritsu answered.

With a click, the door opened itself.

"**Let's play."**

* * *

The museum's roof was… _pretty._

Unlike the other dark places this quest had taken the Music Hunter to, the roof lacked any signs of blood or other human remains. Instead it was full of colourful balloons with many different shapes, much like the ones she found floating above the rest of the city, only smaller. Senritsu smiled softly, happy at the change of scenery, while Feitan scowled at the colourful decorations around him.

"Hehehehe… You came to play with me?"

Feitan and Senritsu spotted a teenage boy with green hair sitting on top of a particularly large balloon. He had a transverse flute - much like Senritsu's - in his right hand and a sadistically demented smile - much like Feitan's smiles during his "interrogations"- on his lips. Senritsu noted that, unlike her other opponents so far, the boy wasn't a NPC; he had a heartbeat.

The Music Hunter raised her flute to her lips. Feitan grabbed his umbrella/sword's hilt.

"Oh! You can play like me, can't you?" The boy asked, ignoring Feitan as he stared directly to Senritsu. "That's so cool! Let's see who's better!"

As soon as those words left the boy's lips, he started playing his flute. As the notes poured out of his instrument, the wind around the boy grew wild, creating a circular shield around him.

The Music Hunter narrowed her eyes. Sound was nothing more than vibrating air, so that wind wouldn't allow any of her songs to reach the boy's ears; using Winter's Freeze on him was out of question for now.

Then she noticed that the balloons that were closest to her started to inflate. And explode.

Quickly, Senritsu started to play her flute.

_Leaves of Autumn. This song emits Aura to my surroundings, creating a spherical shield of a five-meter radius with me as its centre that keeps other people's Nen at bay, protecting me and whoever is nearby from any Nen-based attacks._

The green-haired boy's eyes narrowed at seeing how his balloons' explosions were doing no damage to his small adversaries, but the sadistic smile on his lips only widened at seeing the woman using yet another skill similar to one of his. He was happy she was the one to play with him.

Feitan felt Senritsu's song protect him from the balloons, but at the same time force him into a state of Zetsu and he scowled; he didn't need her protection and he didn't want her to keep him from attacking. Giving the Music Hunter a brief glare, Feitan grabbed his umbrella/sword and jumped off the shield's area to run towards the boy.

Feitan's heartbeats were anxious for a fight, so Senritsu wasn't surprised at the thief's action, but that didn't stop her from mentally berating him. He should've used the time she bought them to analyse their opponent's abilities instead of jumping head-first in the battle. No doubts, Feitan had more than enough reasons to be confident in his strength, but he still shouldn't be so reckless.

Senritsu heard the boy's heartbeats speed up in excitement and noticed how he started playing a different melody. Now, instead of exploding around her, the balloons were flying quickly toward Feitan.

The thief unsheathed his blade and sliced at a balloon that was right in front of him.

The green haired boy's smile widened to unnatural proportions and his song sped up.

A scalding steam shot out of the balloon and to Feitan. The man's eyes widened in surprise as he quickly used Ken on his body, protecting it from extensive burns. Fury doubled, instead of retreating shortly, Feitan sped up towards the boy, ready to kill. Senritsu and the boy's eyes widened when, for a millisecond, the torturer disappeared from their sight.

The thief reappeared in the air, right in front of their opponent, and forced his way through that weird shield of wind around the boy with his blade raised and ready to strike.

Changing his melody yet again, the boy concentrated the wind blades flowing around him into one specific point: Feitan. Stronger and faster, the blades delivered powerful hits to the small man who, at that exact moment, was using Ko on his left arm and sword and so, couldn't defend himself. Feitan's eyes widened as he felt his chest and abdomen being sliced open at many different angles by the wind blades.

The boy smiled sadistically at the thief and was about to change his song once more to return to his defensive wind shield when he started hearing a sweet melody that reminded him of winter. Then he noticed that the air he blew in his flute wasn't strong enough to produce any sound and at the same time his fingers were sluggish and uncoordinated.

Since the wind was no longer circling the boy in that wild manner, he was now open to Senritsu's music and the Music Hunter was no fool to allow such an opportunity to pass. Without a second thought, she started playing Winter's Freeze.

Brain working slower by the second, the boy couldn't really keep up with Feitan's movements, and did not notice when, before falling to the ground, the thief used his blade to slice at the balloon on which he was sitting. Next thing the boy knew; his flute was no longer in his hands and he was diving to the roof, which was far too many meters below him, without being able to think fast enough to use Nen to protect himself.

The fall was painful.

Unable to move and coughing up blood, the boy watched with eyes wide in fear as Feitan approached with his blade raised, smiling sadistically at him. He shut his eyes and awaited his death.

Feitan swung down his sword, anxious for the sweet feeling of slicing that annoying boy's flesh. However, all that his arm felt was the rough halting of his blade on the roof's ground. Eyes narrowed in threat and heartbeat cold in fury, Feitan glared down at Senritsu, who was a few feet away from him, holding the boy protectively in her arms.

"What you think you doing?" Feitan demanded, taking a step in Senritsu's direction. "Give him back. I kill him."

The Music Hunter shook her head. "You can't kill him. I still have to ask him about the sonata."

The boy coughed up blood.

"He no using Nen when he falled. He good as dead."

"I can fix this." Senritsu spoke, laying the boy softly on the ground.

Before Feitan could protest, Senritsu started to play Wild Flower. The thief and the boy felt their fatigue leave their bodies immediately. It was not much, but it helped and after a couple of minutes the boy was able slowly sit up.

"Don't push yourself." The Music Hunter scolded softly, supporting the boy's back with one of her hands. "You should lay back down. I'll find a doctor to treat your wounds."

The boy waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "Book." His binder materialized in front of him. From it, he removed a Ruler Only card. "Instantaneous Recovery, on!" And, just like that, the boy was completely healed.

Finally, the boy turned his eyes to the woman; they were as green as his hair and as bright as Gon's.

Senritsu's hat had fallen off during the fight, allowing the boy to finally take a good look at her face. His eyes widened at what he saw and a huge grin broke on his face.

"I knew it! You're just like my Master! You listened to the Sonata of Darkness too, didn't you? Of course you did! I mean, look at you!"

Senritsu's eyes widened as the boy's hand started to touch her face and hair. Then, they moved to pull at her sleeve.

"Is your whole body like th- AH!" Suddenly, Feitan's blade appeared at the boy's throat, getting him to raise his wandering hand in a gesture of surrender. "Chill out, man! I'm not hurting her or anything! I just want to see it!"

"I no give you permission to see it."

"Pffft! What are you? Her owner?" The boy asked, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

The blade was pushed further in his throat.

Once again, Senritsu started playing Wild Flower in hopes of calming Feitan and that strange boy who seemed to have a serious suicidal tendency. With an annoyed sigh, the thief sheathed his blade and walked away from the boy.

"What's up with him?" The boy asked no one in particular as he massaged his neck before returning his attention to Senritsu with a big grin on his face. "I can't believe someone finally came after the sonata! And another flautist at that!"

"So, you're the one that has the sonata?" Senritsu asked, eyes shining in excitement.

"Me? Hahaha! Gods, no! My Master won't allow me within a 10-meter radius of that thing! But-"

A small smile tugged at Senritsu's lips when she heard Feitan mumble a "Wonder why" beneath his breath.

"- I'll take you to the next stage so you can get it! Congratulations! You're one step closer to getting the thing!" At the end of that sentence, the boy had his arms wide open.

Senritsu blinked. During their fight, the boy seemed to be as much of a sadist as Feitan, yet now he was behaving much like a sugar-high Gon.

"My name is Altus! I'm a Music Hunter, but I'm serving as a temporary Game Master in Greed Island because my Master thought it would be good for me to train here. Also, I'm one of the bosses of the Hell's Path quest you're on right now! Since you defeated me, I'm supposed to take you to the next stage of the quest!" With a snap of his fingers, Altus' flute flew to his left hand and he jumped to his feet. "Let's go then! To Aiai!"

Feitan and Senritsu watched the boy jump off the roof and exchanged a look. Automatically, Senritsu's gaze descended from the thief's eyes to his injured torso.

"That looks bad. Maybe we should find a place for you to recover first." The Music Hunter spoke worriedly. "We could wait for a few hours before going to Aiai."

"This is nothing; I no need your concern. The more soon we get there, the better." Feitan spoke simply, his heartbeats surprisingly calm. Then, he retrieved a Contact card from his book and gave it to Senritsu. "Contact me when you arrive at destination."

"You're not coming?"

Feitan shook his head and his heartbeat spiked in annoyance. "No song of yours worth spending time with that brat. If I go, I kill him."

"HEEEEY! YOU COMING OR NOT?! OH! ARE YOU TIRED, MISS FLAUTIST? WANT ME TO CARRY YOU?"

Senritsu nodded her head in understanding. She couldn't say she blamed solely the thief's murderous nature this time.

* * *

**Well, this whole chapter was basically a fight so not much SenritsuxFeitan goodness going on. -.- However, the next stage of their quest promises a nice (and quite distraught, to be honest) development in their relationship. ;)**

**Also, now Feitan will have his polar opposite (Altus) tagging along for a couple of chapters more. Poor Feitan... XP**

**Kisses,**

**RedVoid**


	8. Benath X The X Tree

**Thank you very much to ****Yandere Shoujo, Luxurien, Bai-Feng333 and ********pitou77 for the reviews! :)**

******Another thanks to Luxurien for always helping me with the chapters edition! ;)**

******Also, another thanks to Bai-Feng333 for making an amazing fan-art of Altus! Here's the link: bai-feng . tumblr search/altus (just remove spaces) I really recommend to everyone to check it (and the whole tumblr page) out; it's really, _really_ beautiful! *.*  
**

**Music suggeston: Chinese Twilight – I think the composer's name is Ma Ke, but I'm not 100% sure**

* * *

"I'm a Manipulator! I use my flute as a mediator to control the air! It's pretty cool, isn't it? Are you a Manipulator, too? And what's your name? I forgot to ask, sorry! How many songs can you play? Do you play anything else besides the flute? I bet you do! I'm learning the violin and harp, you know? My Master says-"

Senritsu couldn't help but chuckle as the boy, Altus, babbled besides her while they walked through a large forest towards Aiai. He really reminded her of Killua and Gon. Well, a mixed and hyperactive version of them.

The chuckle made a small blush spread on the boy's cheeks and he smiled sheepishly at Senritsu.

"I'm blabbing. Sorry! It's just, it has been quite some time since I last talked to someone, you know? I'll shut up now. You tell me about yourself."

"Well, my name is Senritsu. As you must've guessed already, I'm a Music Hunter as well. Answering your questions: I'm an Emitter, not a Manipulator. I can play lots of songs; I can also play the violin, the piano and the cello. Or, I could, before… well…" The Music Hunter smiled softly at the boy and gestured to her body.

"The Sonata of Darkness." The boy completed with a frown. "No way to play the cello in a body like yours." Then the boy's eyes widened and his heartbeat sped up in despair. "I-I'm really sorry! I didn't mean it like an offense, Miss Senritsu! Damn! That's why my Master says I should just put a sock in my mouth!"

"Don't worry, I know you didn't mean anything bad by it." Senritsu nodded, smiling serenely.

Altus was surprised at how calm and accepting Senritsu was about her condition. If only his Master was like that… he could've avoided many punishments throughout the years.

An awkward silence installed itself for a few moments, before Senritsu raised a reassuring smile at the boy.

"And I really like listening to others talk."

Altus smiled widely at the woman. He didn't need any more incentives to resume talking.

"So, as I was saying! My Master says that-"

Smiling, Senritsu listened as the boy talked extensively about his Master, his training and himself. She was surprised to find out that the boy, despite being almost 170cm high, was only 14 years old and that he had followed his Master inside the game as soon as it was created, passing the last five years of his life inside Greed Island.

"My Master told me not to come! He said I'd enjoy my life more in the outside world, interacting with real people! Can you believe him? I mean, sure, I miss talking with non-NPCs, but there was no way in hell I wouldn't follow him! I mean, how many people do you know that can say they are Nocturnal's students? Just me!"

Senritsu's eyes widened in shock. "Nocturnal is your Master? The Music Hunter whose talent is equivalent to Beethoven, Bach, Vivaldi and Mozart's? That Nocturnal?"

"Yep! He wouldn't like you saying he's more talented than Vivaldi, though; he idolizes that man! But, between you and me, I think his talent goes a little further. Really, my Master is a genius! He's totally capable of writing a symphony in less than three days. And win the Nobel of Music because of it!"

Senritsu smiled in amusement. _There is no Nobel Prize of Music._

As Altus continued talking, Senristu couldn't help but lose herself a little. How could she not? Nocturnal was her hero; he was the reason she decided to become a Music Hunter.

When Senritsu was little and her parents were still alive, they had taken her to watch a symphonic orchestra that was touring around the world. The music was mesmerizing, but what really got to her was the Maestro. He was a boy, not much older than she was, and yet he had conducted the performance perfectly. When she found out he had been the one responsible for writing the symphony as well, Senritsu had been nothing short of in love with the young Maestro, whose name was Nocturnal.

After that episode, Senritsu focused her attention in two things: her music and Nocturnal's. It was no wonder when, some years after Nocturnal became a Music Hunter, she went to take the Hunter Exam herself.

It seemed that even without knowing, Senritsu followed in her idol's footsteps and now both of them were cursed by the Sonata of Darkness. It was an odd situation but Senritsu found it made sense that a famous Music Hunter such as Nocturnal had come into contact with the sonata. There was only one thing that bothered her:

Why, instead of trying to destroy it, was he gambling part of the sonata in this game?

* * *

Senritsu's eyes were wide as she stared at her surroundings. Everything and everyone around her was so… romantic. Aiai had that beautiful medieval appearance that could be found in the older, well-preserved cities in the world. The place's NPCs were extremely beautiful and walked, talked and _breathed_ in a strangely seductive way.

"Here we are!" Altus announced. "Aiai! The City of Lo-Oof!"

"Hey! Look where you're going!" A girl with a piece of toast in her mouth, who had just bumped on Altus, yelled angrily at the boy. Alright, not all NPCs were so seductive.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry." Altus spoke waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Just walk along."

"Jerk!" The girl shot at the boy, but did as she was told.

"Every time I come here it's the same. One would think I'd be able to avoid bumping into that girl after the first 86 times." Altus whined.

"You've been here 86 times?"

"Yep! Last month, I managed to clear all of the romantic quests in this place!" The boy spoke in a cheerful voice. "It's a great place to get a date! Even if it's just with a NPC. Though, after clearing all the dates, it got boring…"

Senritsu smiled sadly at the boy. Nocturnal was right, Altus should've stayed in the real world interacting with real people instead of going on pre-programmed dates with NPCs.

Suddenly, Altus's heartbeat spiked in excitement. "Hey! We should totally go on a date!"

Senritsu's heartbeat spiked in shock. "What?"

"Yeah! We still have hours to go before moving on to the next event of the quest! It only happens between 20:00 and 24:00, you see? Let's go on a date, Miss Senritsu! Please! I've never been on a date with a real woman before!"

The Music Hunter was speechless as she listened to the symphony of shock, confusion and hesitation that was her heartbeat.

After listening to the Sonata of Darkness, Senritsu had come to terms with her deformed body and with the fact that she might be stuck in it forever. Though that didn't mean that if there was a way for her to return to normal, she wouldn't do everything in her power to do so.

The point is: Senritsu had already accepted the idea that no man would ever look at her as a woman again. And yet, that boy was asking her to _please_ go on a date with him. Of course, he was a child and meant nothing by it – it was nothing more than a play for him – but still, just hearing those words was an immense shock for the small woman. She couldn't, for the life of her, understand why Altus would like to go on a date with her. She thought that maybe the boy was kidding, but no - his heartbeats were truly excited and nervous about the idea.

"Pleeeeease, Miss Senritsu! It'll be fun! We'll walk around the town, eat ice-cream and I'll play for you – can you believe it, that no NPC has ever asked me to play for her?! Oh! You can play for me too! I really liked to hear you play during the fight! Maybe you could even teach me that calming song of yours! It would really come in handy! Oh! And at the end, I'll buy you flowers! My Master said to always give a woman flowers! What kind of flowers do you like, by the way? I like lilies! "

There was no harm in going on a date – to Senritsu, the only difference between this "date" and their walk to Aiai would be the location and the ice cream. If anything, it would be a fun way to spend the time until the quest's next event.

There was only one thing keeping the Music Hunter from playing along: Feitan. He had told her to contact him as soon as she got in Aiai, but even if he was there, it wouldn't do any good; they couldn't advance in the quest for another 5 hours. She didn't know what would displease the thief more: finding out she hadn't followed his order, or coming to Aiai when there was nothing for him to do for the next 5 hours. Sure, she could explain the situation to thief so he knew better than to come to Aiai before 20:00 but somehow the Music Hunter doubted he'd listen to any words she had to say after "I arrived at Aiai".

"Soooo? What do you say?"

Senritsu raised her eyes to Altus' expectant smile and she couldn't help but smile back.

"Alright, but just for a couple of hours. I have to contact my… I have to contact Feitan and let him know we're here."

The boy punched the air in celebration. "Alright!"

* * *

Senritsu and Altus' playdate – there was no better word to describe it – was every bit as pleasant and childish as the Music Hunter expected: they had ice-cream and walked around Aiai with Altus babbling all the while. In the end, they walked into a flowery park and sat down beneath the shade of a large tree as the sun started to set. Altus wasted no time in retrieving his flute to play some of his original melodies to Senritsu.

Of course, he asked for her input about his work as soon as he was finished.

"It's a very pretty melody, Altus."

Altus pouted; from her tone, it was obvious something wasn't right about his music.

"Buuuuut?" The boy prompted.

"But it lacks emotion. It's pretty in a mathematic way, as if you followed a formula when writing it. I can't hear your heart through your music."

"My Master says the same thing. Sometimes, I think I'll never be able to write a really beautiful song, you know?" Altus spoke sadly before brightening up again. "Well! Now it's your turn! Play me something!"

Senritsu chuckled at the boy's almost bipolar behaviour before raising her flute to her lips. Ten minutes into her performance and Altus had fallen asleep beside her, laying on his back with a hand draped over his belly and drooling.

With a soft smile, Senritsu lowered her instrument and watched the boy's sleeping face for a few moments.

It was then that the Music Hunter realized how tired she was. The night before, she had exhausted her Aura playing to Feitan before her body said 'no more' and she fell asleep. Her sleep was short and didn't allow her to recover much of her energy. Then, she had to walk to Masadora and fight Altus, something that consumed most of the Aura she had left. After that she had walked with the boy to Aiai and entertained him with this playdate that, while not unpleasant at all, did drain some of her stamina. Also her injured foot – that had been pierced in her fight with the Pianist of Flames - was throbbing painfully.

Really, all the Music Hunter wanted to do was lay her back on the grass and take a nap.

However, she still had to contact Feitan.

With a tired sigh, Senritsu stood up and took some steps away from Altus as to not wake him up.

"Book. Contact, on: Feitan."

It took the thief a few minutes to answer.

"_You there yet?"_

"Yes. I've arriv-"

The Music Hunter heard before she saw a beam of light falling from the skies right in front of her. Unsurprisingly, Feitan stood at the exact same spot the beam had fallen on, staring at Senritsu with his cold eyes.

Senritsu spared a look to Altus - the boy hadn't even flinched in his sleep – before raising her eyes to Feitan's.

"That was quick." The Music Hunter commented with a soft smile, forcing herself to ignore the blood that was drenching the thief's black coat. His blood-lusting heartbeat was much harder to ignore, though. "Maybe I should've waited for a little longer before contacting you…"

"What you mean?" Feitan asked.

"The next stage of the quest has a time restriction and can only be triggered between 20:00 and 24:00." Senritsu explained. "Which leaves us in stand-by for the next two hours."

"Good."

Senritsu's jaw dropped slightly at hearing that. She wasn't expecting such a pleased and calm reaction from Feitan and his heartbeat assured her that he actually meant what he had said.

"You play for me now." The thief settled, turning his back to Senritsu to walk towards the same tree beneath which Altus was sleeping. He sat down on the side opposite to the boy, laying his back on the tree-trunk and closing his eyes.

For a few moments, Senritsu stood unmoving, watching Feitan from a distance and hearing his slow and contented heartbeat. It was the first time she had ever seen the thief so calm and pleased about his situation; not even he had slept in the inn at Dorias, with her playing to him, had the thief been so relaxed.

It was certainly eerie to see Feitan like this, especially since one of the reasons for this self-satisfaction was undoubtedly a result of a massive killing spree.

Noticing Senritsu hadn't moved, Feitan cracked an eye open to look at her. "What you waiting for? Play."

Back to reality, Senritsu smiled to the thief in an appeasing manner and walked closer to him. As she raised her flute to her lips, Feitan closed his eye again. However, before she was able to blow into her instrument, the thief spoke once again.

"Sit down to play. And no use Nen this time. There may be fight later."

"It's alright." She spoke carefully as she wondered what would be the point of her playing to Feitan if she didn't emit her calming Aura to him. That was why he needed _her_ specifically to play for him, after all. "I don't mind standing and I can bear to play some Aura-emitting songs for you."

"You barely sleeped two hours last night and didn't stop all day. Your Nen is no recovered yet." Feitan spoke calmly. "Save your energy."

Senritsu's jaw slackened again. Naturally, it wasn't Feitan's intention to do anything more than guarantee that Senritsu would be at her top performance for a possible fight on the next stage of their quest. Which, in her drained state, was impossible unless she was allowed some hours of rest. But, despite the reason behind the thief's words, what he said heeded the Music Hunter's well-being and that was something that she never expected to happen.

She didn't understand what that small and surely unintended demonstration of concern meant to her abnormal and, hopefully, brief association with the Spider. It couldn't be that they were already evolving to a stage of friendly acquaintances; it just couldn't.

Feitan's heartbeat spiked in annoyance at Senritsu's delay, but he didn't say anything to pressure her. He knew she was exhausted and there was no need to stress her even more. He had two hours to listen to her music and, even if it wouldn't carry her soothing Aura this time, knowing that she would play for him was the reassurance he needed to keep himself patient. He could wait a few moments for her to organize her thoughts before she started playing.

Despite the torturer's silence, the pike in his heartbeat retrieved Senritsu from her thoughts and back to her current situation. She snapped her jaw shut and complied with Feitan's orders, sitting down on the grass, as far away from him as she could without seeming rude. It annoyed her that she did not think it was still too close for comfort.

Without a word, the musician started playing for the thief, and her mind automatically started to analyse Feitan and their developing… relationship? That word was uncomfortably intimate to describe her association with the thief, but it seemed to be the most adequate.

Kurapika would have a fit if he found out that, somehow, she was growing close to the Spider.

A shiver ran down Senritsu's spine when she thought of her blonde friend and of what the man in front of her did to him and his family. She had to be careful as to not allow her relationship with Feitan to grow any deeper than it was already. It would be hard, since the woman was caring by nature and worried about everyone's well-being, but she couldn't let herself to actually become fond of him.

Senritsu surprised herself at her own decision. It wasn't like her to discard a possible friend because of his past actions, even if said actions had hurt other people.

However, Kurapika was more than 'other people'. She cared about him deeply; he was her dearest friend. And the thought of him cutting her from his life because she had befriended a Spider made her feel sick.

A missed note assaulted Senritsu's ears and made her push those sad thoughts from her mind and concentrate herself on the music she was playing. Spider or not, Senritsu wanted to give Feitan a performance he would enjoy, even without transmitting her Aura to him.

As the soft notes left the Music Hunter's flute, Feitan's heartbeat entered a peaceful rhythm and Senritsu couldn't help but smile. Despite all of her earlier thoughts and inner-conflicts, she cared about the thief already – in her defence, she also cared about Altus already - and she felt happy when he was relaxed.

On one of the branches above the musician and the thief, a spider weaved its web around its still moving prey.

* * *

**Well, Senritsu is finally starting to doubt her "partnership" with Feitan. I wonder how long until he does the same... Not long, I hope. I love writing conflicting emotions! *.***

**Next chapter we see where exactly the next stage of the quest will happen. And, boy, do I have a surprise for you all. ;)**

**Kisses,**

**RedVoid**


	9. V x For x Vivaldi

**Sorry for taking longer than usual to post this chapter. I had to study a little for some test and write some chapters for my other fic.**

**Talking about other fics, I wrote a KuroroxSenritsu one-shot for Bai-Feng333 called Bumping into Death that you might enjoy. :) **

**Anyway, thank you pitou77, Korparashon, Bai-Feng333 and doudouchinois for reviewing to the last chapter! I love hearing your opinions! :D**

**Another thanks for Bai-Feng333 for making me the amazing cover image I'm using right now! You all can find it in better resolution here: bai-feng . tumblr image/95030711597 (just remove spaces). ;)**

**Music suggestion for this chapter: Le Quattro Stagioni (The Four Seasons) - Antonio Lucio Vivaldi**

* * *

Listening to Senritsu play her flute was, as always, calming and pleasant to Feitan; her music put him in a state of peace and nostalgia that he had never known before. He had gone to different musical performances as she had instructed him to do, years ago, but none got even close to making him feel what her music did. Even without emitting her Aura as she played, Senritsu's music was somehow superior to anything he had ever heard before.

How could a simple flute solo be superior to a whole orchestra, composed by the finest musicians around the world?

Feitan didn't know, but it was.

Many people, experts in Music, would say that it wasn't possible; that he had no taste and that his words didn't make sense – nothing seemed to make sense when that woman was involved – but the thief didn't give a fuck about them. Senritsu was a superior player and that was it. If anyone disagreed with him, they could come and tell him themselves. He'd personally decapitate anyone who dared to belittle the woman's music.

The performance was to the thief's taste, but it ended all too soon, thanks to an annoying brat that had woken up.

"Miss Senritsu! What a pretty song!" The brat spoke in admiration. "Can you teach me?"

Feitan opened his eyes and glared at the boy who was now sitting in front of the small woman with his flute in hand. The brat's guard was wide open; it would be so easy to just-

Feitan's sadistic line of thought halted when Senritsu turned her head to him with an appeasing smile on her lips that showed she knew what he wanted to do and, at the same time, pleaded him not to harm the brat. The thief felt a mix of amusement and annoyance at the Music Hunter's expertise at reading his intentions from his heartbeat.

The brat's gaze followed Senritsu's. "Oh, if it isn't Mister Swordsman! Didn't see you there! "

Feitan gave him a cold look. "Your carelessness kill you. Today, if you annoy me enough."

Altus' eyes widened for a second before a sadistic smile - that would put Hisoka's maniacal grin to shame - made his way to his lips. Feitan rose an eyebrow at how quick the brat went from happy-go-round to psychotic murder.

"Ohhhh, you wish to fight?" The brat jumped to his feet and stood between the thief and the Music Hunter. "Let's see how well you do without Miss Senritsu to protect you from my winds."

Feitan narrowed his eyes in anger as he stood up. "I no need anyone protection."

Altus' smile widened. "Hmm, we'll see about that."

The boy made to raise his flute to his lips, but a hand, small and soft, grabbed his wrist firmly, keeping it lowered to his side. The boy lowered a scorching gaze to his side, only to find Senritsu there, staring up at him with tired and pleading eyes.

"Let's not fight. Please."

Softening his gaze, Altus laid his free hand over Senritsu's and nodded. "Alright. But just for you, Miss Senritsu!"

The Music Hunter smiled thankfully to the boy.

Feitan felt his anger raise as he watched the exchange between the two Music Hunters. It was not up to them to decide if there was to be conflict or not; if Feitan wanted to fight and kill the boy, he'd do just that. And, who the fuck gave the brat permission to behave so intimately towards Senritsu?

"I wonder what time is it." Senritsu spoke softly, releasing her hand from Altus' quickly at noticing how it made Feitan's possessiveness surge. She examined her surroundings. "It's dark already. The event should happen soon."

"Yeah... Let's go, I'll take you to the place!" Altus spoke with his usual cheery smile and began to walk away, babbling about this and that as he moved.

Feitan was about to unsheathe his sword and put an end to the brat's annoying rambling, but Senritsu laid her hand softly on his wrist to stop him, as she had done with Altus moments before.

"Let him babble, Feitan." Senritsu spoke softly. "He's just a child. He doesn't know any better."

"…You too soft." The thief complained as he let go of his sword's hilt and started walking.

Senritsu didn't bother to answer since she knew it was true. Instead, she smiled thankfully to the thief before catching up to Altus so he knew someone was actually listening to him. His babbling would grow worse if he believed he was being ignored and she doubted that Feitan would hesitate in fulfilling his promise of killing the boy if he granted too much on his nerves.

Feitan followed the Music Hunters from a distance that allowed his ears some peace from the brat's rambling. His eyes, on the other hand, weren't spared the sickly sweet vision of Senritsu smiling caringly to the brat as if she was his fucking mother.

_I kill him. Before everything finished, I kill the brat._

* * *

As soon as they arrived at their destination, Feitan's blade was at Altus' neck, pressing dangerously into the boy's flesh.

"You think you funny, brat?" The thief demanded. "I no laughing."

"I'm serious!" Altus yelled, raising his hands in a surrender gesture. "This is the place!"

The blade pressed deeper on the boy's throat.

"He's telling the truth, Feitan." Senritsu spoke, staring at their destination's black front - which was full of painted red hearts and naked women silhouettes - with a desolated look on her face. "It seems that the next stage of the quest is in a… swingers' club."

Altus shot a victorious look at Feitan, who retaliated by pressing his blade deep enough into the boy's neck to draw blood.

"No need to get your knickers in a bunch." Altus pouted and made to push the blade from his neck. The torturer just pushed it deeper. "What's the big deal about a swingers' club anyway?"

Senritsu and Feitan stared at the boy as if he had just grown a second head.

"Altus…" The Music Hunter began carefully. "Have you ever been in a swingers' club before?"

"No. Why would I?"

"…Do you know what a swingers' club is?"

"Eh… a place for people who like swings?" Altus risked.

Feitan felt like decapitating the boy for his sheer stupidity. Senritsu, on the other hand, was relieved that the boy was as sweetly innocent as a boy his age should be.

"You more stupid than I thinked." Feitan groaned. "No know what swingers' club is…"

Altus glared down at Feitan.

"Yeah?! Well, at least I don't speak like an dim-witted ten years old!" Senritsu's eyes widened at the poison behind the boy's words. For someone so young, he sure could pick up the most sensitive places to go in a verbal fight. "And, whatever a swingers' club is, it's none of your business, anyway!" The boy pushed Feitan's blade away from his neck. "Only couples are allowed in! So only Miss Senritsu and I can proceed. You're not invited, Mister Third-wheel!"

Feitan's eyes were burning with anger. That was it.

Altus had to drop to the ground to keep his head glued to his body as Feitan's sword made an arch on the air, where the boy's neck had been only seconds ago. Green strands of hair floated down to the ground as the boy jumped back with his flute by his lips.

Quickly, Senritsu began playing Wild Flower, emitting as much Aura as she could to calm them down. The effect was _not _immediate.

Heartbeat in a frenzy, Feitan jumped after Altus and sliced at him repeatedly. Surprisingly, the boy managed to avoid the blows by dodging them or by manipulating the wind around him to serve as a shield.

Despite his obvious talent, Altus' survival was greatly owed to the fact that, not only Feitan wasn't at his full-strength yet - thanks to the lack of good fights -, but he also was still suffering from his injuries from the fight with the boy that happened earlier that day. Thanks to that, the thief didn't get even close to reaching his full-speed.

Still, the torturer was getting faster by the second and it was a matter of time before he killed the boy, so Senritsu put all of her remaining Aura in the melody she was playing, hoping to calm those two quickly. Thankfully, before any of them got hurt, their heartbeats slowed down and they jumped away from one another.

As soon as they stopped fighting, Senritsu stopped playing and allowed let herself to drop to her knees. She was simply drained.

"Miss Senritsu!" Altus called, dropping to his knees besides her. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't notice you were so tired! Damn! We should've rested during the afternoon! Ahhh! I'm such an idiot for not realizing it sooner! But, don't worry! I promise you won't have to do a thing in there, Miss Senritsu! I'll take care of everything! Well, actually, my master told _me_ not to do a thing in there, but he doesn't have to know that I helped you, right?"

Feitan watched with cold eyes as the boy laid his hands on Senritsu's shoulders and helped her stand up.

"Don't worry." She reassured, smiling softly to the boy. "I can handle it."

"Even if she no can; you no do a thing." The thief spoke at last, sheathing his sword. "I go in with her. You go away and no come back. I tired of dealing with you."

"What?! No way I'm leaving Miss Senritsu alone with a violent idiot like you!" Altus spoke, crossing his arms over his chest as he stood up to glare down at the small thief.

It took Feitan every ounce of his willpower and a pleading look from Senritsu not to resume the fight.

"It's alright, Altus." Senritsu spoke, getting the boy to lower his gaze back to her. "Feitan and I have been managing together until now. We will be fine on our own."

"But… We were having fun…" Altus was devastated.

"It end now." Feitan spoke, glaring darkly at the boy. He was tired of dealing with him. "You can leave right now on your own legs or without them. Make choice."

Altus had half a mind to begin yet another fight with the thief, but he controlled himself, if only for Senritsu's sake.

"Fine. But I'll be here, waiting for Miss Senritsu to return! And she better return safe and sound, you hear me?! Protect her well!" Altus spoke, pointing accusingly at Feitan. Then, the boy fished a coin – triangular and red - from his pocket and turned to Senritsu, softening the expression on his face. "Here. Master told me to give this to the receptionist when we got in to activate the event. Good luck, Miss Senritsu!"

Feitan raised an eyebrow as he watched the boy give the woman a last smile and turn around to cross the street. Without another word, Altus sat down on the ground, directly in front of the club's door; his arms were crossed over his chest and his eyes glared daggers at the thief, as if he wanted nothing more than to kill him.

"Let's go." Feitan commanded, turning to look at the club's entrance with narrowed eyes. "I want finish this soon."

"Yes." Senritsu agreed. "Let's end this as soon as possible."

The small woman smiled apologetically at Altus from over her shoulder before fixing her gaze on the club's heart-shaped doors. She and Feitan exchanged an unhappy look and took a step forwards.

* * *

As soon as Senritsu and Feitan walked into the club's small and poorly illuminated reception, a redheaded NPC woman, more naked than dressed by her short and form-fitting red dress, greeted them. Before the scarcely dressed woman could say a word, Senritsu raised the strange coin to her.

"Hello, okyaku-sama." She spoke in a honeyed voice as she retrieved the coin. "My name is Strawberry and I'll be your guide for tonight. Please, give me some moments as I prepare a booth for you. Here, you can take a seat." Strawberry motioned to a couple of heart-shaped benches and disappeared behind a velvet door.

Neither moved towards the benches.

"Since when do people need a guide in a swingers' club?" Senritsu thought out-loud.

"You been in swingers' clubs before?" Feitan asked, in all honesty, surprised.

"Years ago - before I looked like this - one of my clients liked to meet in places like this." Senritsu explained with a small blush on her cheeks. "He thought I'd be willing to give him something more than the items I was paid to retrieve."

"And, did you?" Feitan asked, smirking in amusement beneath his skull crest.

Senritsu gave him a withering look. "Of course not."

"But, oral part of your work happened in clubs like this?"

Senritsu's eyes widened in shock at hearing the thief's words, not because of the crudeness behind them, but because he was actually _teasing_ her. His heartbeat showed he was kidding, something that surprised her; Senritsu hadn't suspected that the Spider possessed a playful side.

Senritsu couldn't help but chuckle as she shook her head, not dignifying the man beside her with an answer.

Feitan was about to throw another taunt at her, but Strawberry returned to the reception, keeping the words from leaving his lips. The receptionist had a creepily wide smile on her face that made her look like a spawn of Satan.

"Okyaku-sama, your booth is ready."

* * *

It was hard for the Music Hunter not to blush as Strawberry led her and Feitan through the darkened corridors of the club, full of doors that lead to rooms emanating moans and grunts that could be heard as clear as thunder by the Music Hunter. She found it funny how, in many rooms, there was only one heartbeat but many voices; meaning there was only one person but more than one NPC.

Despite not having a hearing sensitive enough to hear the sounds of sex around him, Feitan wasn't particularly happy about the situation either. A swingers' club was about sharing, and the thief did _not_ share what was his, be it a partner or a music box.

"Here we are, okyaku-sama." Strawberry announced as she motioned to the door in front of her. Unsurprising, the door was made of thick iron and covered in dried blood. "I hope you find what you are looking for."

With that, Strawberry returned the strange coin to Senristu and turned around to stalk away. The sound of her high heels clacking on the floor echoed throughout the suddenly silent corridors as Feitan and Senritsu stared at the door in front of them, waiting for it to say something.

True to tradition, the door spoke with them.

"_**I'm vastly happy. I can be slow, but I'm always ready. I'm life and death. I'm beauty. I'm art. I'm one year."**_

Senritsu blinked. That was a hard one.

"What's answer?" Feitan asked, sure that Senritsu would know.

"I… Give me some time to think." The Music Hunter asked, reaching for her flute – a motion she did whenever she was nervous or concentrating about something, Feitan noted.

As one hand held the flute, the other played with the strange triangular coin she had received from Altus. Minutes passed in complete silence as Senritsu thought about the riddle and Feitan started to grow impatient. Suddenly, his heartbeat spiked in annoyance and he slammed a powerful fist on the iron door.

The sound of Feitan's fist hitting the door was so abrupt and loud that it startled Senritsu, making her flinch and drop the red coin on the floor, at Feitan's feet.

Glaring at nothing in particular, the thief bent down and picked up the coin, holding it by one of its side to hand it to Senritsu. Smiling thankfully, the woman made to retrieve it, but her hand halted mid-air as her eyes finally observed the coin closely. She noticed that the borders of two of its three sides were slightly thicker and, thanks to the way Feitan was holding it, with the vertex composed by these thicker sides down, she could clearly see the shape of a 'V' on the coin's edges.

Senritsu's eyes glazed over as some of Altus' words about his teacher, Nocturnal, flew into her mind.

"_He wouldn't like you saying he's more talented than Vivaldi, though; he idolizes that man!" _

_Vivaldi._

'_V'_

_Vivaldi's best known work is Le Quattro Stagioni - The Four Seasons._

_Le Quattro Stagioni is a work composed manly by four tempo markings: allegro, largo, adagio and presto. _

_Largo. Wide. Vastly._

_Allegro. Happy._

_Adagio. Slow._

_Presto. Soon. Ready. _

_Four Seasons. From Spring to Winter. From life to death._

_Four Seasons. One year._

Scowling, Feitan pushed the coin towards her. "What you waiting for? Take coin."

Senritsu blinked once at the thief as she allowed her eyes to focus once again. Slowly, a soft smile stretched on her lips and she retrieved the triangular coin from the thief's hand.

"Thank you very much, Feitan." The thief glared at the woman; there she was, thanking him _again_. But, before he could protest, she had her back turned to him and was staring at the iron door. "I'm Vivaldi's Le Quattro Stagioni."

The door opened.

"_**Don't delude yourself. You will never be that good."**_

* * *

**Okyaku-sama: ********polite way to refer to a customer in japanese.**

**Well, that's it. ****Hope you all enjoyed it. :)**

**Also, I'm no musician; all I know about Vivaldi's work I searched on the internet so, if I wrote something wrong about it, I apologize. **

**Until next chapter! ;D**

**Kisses,**

**RedVoid**


	10. Mirrors x And x Harp

**Thank you Bai-Feng333, Colorless Butterfly, doudouchinois (I'm really glad you liked last chapter's riddle! *.*), Yandere Shoujo and Yoshisaki Asuka for reviewing to the last chapter! :D**

******Music suggestion: Bach's Chaconne from Partita No 2**

**A couple of terms you might not be familiar with:**

**chaconne: ****a slow, stately instrumental work in duple meter employing variations.**

**cheongsam: body-hugging chinese dress.**

**Warning: OOC-ness**

* * *

The place Senritsu walked into when the iron door opened was not what she expected. The scene that met her eyes was very surprising, but in a good way since it didn't involve blood and limbs laying around.

Beautiful NPCs, male and female ,were scattered in couples, straight and gay, all around the large room, standing close to its walls, sitting at the bar or on its many heart-shaped couches, or simply dancing to the soft music that was playing on the background. Overall, that room looked like an expensive and very private dancing club.

_"Hello, there. Neophyte."_ Senritsu's ears picked up the soft and feminine whisper. _"Are you looking for something specific?"_

Automatically, the Music Hunter's eyes turned to the direction the voice had come from. Sitting on a cushioned loveseat, she found the most stunning couple her imagination could ever conjure. The woman had a luscious head of blonde hair that cascaded down her back, dark and inviting blue eyes, full red lips and a perfect body that was hugged by a black cheongsam in the most flattering way. The man had blonde hair as well, but his eyes were of a bright green shade that held a tantalizing playfulness, which was only intensified by the way his lips pulled in a daring smile; he was dressed in leather pants and a button down white shirt that was opened mid-way to his sculpted chest.

Noticing they were being watched, the man and the woman gave Senritsu a predatory smile that had the Hunter wishing desperately that NPCs had heartbeats, so she could predict what their next actions would be . However, the only heartbeat she could hear - besides hers - belonged to short thief besides her and she didn't need to hear it to know how he felt; annoyed, impatient and, in all honesty, awkward. Just like her.

_"Come play with us."_ Another whisper, male and husky this time. _"We don't bite."_

Senritsu's gaze focused on the man's face as she watched his lips move to let out those whispered temptations and give her a playful smile.

As if prompted by the small Music Hunter watching the man, both blonde NPCs stood up from the loveseat and _swayed _their way to Senritsu and Feitan. The thief stood tense, watching the NPCs with suspicious eyes - which may or may not have lingered on the woman's form for a couple of seconds more than on the man's.

"Hmmm… New members." The woman purred, smiling seductively to Feitan. "I love trying out new things."

"Aurora, don't be so direct." The man scolded playfully, smiling teasingly to Senritsu. "It's their first time here, after all. They must be nervous."

"You're right, Narcissus. But I'm certain we can make them relax." Aurora said confidently, before looking around with a pout on her red, red lips. "Not in such a crowded room, though… First times are special; they should happen in special places."

"Indeed." Narcissus agreed and offered his hand to Senritsu. "What do you say, Miss? Why don't we go to a… _darker _place? I'm sure Aurora and I can give you what you're looking for."

"Yes_." _Aurora whispered as she encircled her right arm around Feitan's shoulders. Since she was a good foot taller than the torturer, his head came dangerously close to her breasts. Not that he was complaining. "We _certainly _have what you're looking for."

Hearing Feitan's heartbeat – and her own – spike in a mix of distrust and interest, Senritsu raised her eyes to the thief, who had managed to maintain his cold and murderous expression in place, despite stealing discreet glances from Aurora's bosom by the corner of his eye. The Music Hunter didn't know if she should feel annoyed or amused at the thief's attention span, especially since her own eyes were soon drawn to Narcissus' exposed and sculpted chest, then to the large hand he was offering her.

Senritsu closed her eyes and let out a sigh of exasperation as she contemplated the situation. The perfect image she had of Nocturnal was hurt somehow; the man knew how to play low, using the prospect of sex to cloud their judgement. If she was here with Altus, no doubt, the boy would already be half "in love" with Aurora and she would've lost her helper. However, Feitan and her we were adults, not a couple of hormonal teenagers, and, as such, they could manage a reasonable amount of self-control.

Opening tired eyes, Senritsu raised her hand to grab the male NPC's.

"Let's go."

* * *

Senritsu felt a sense of déjà vu when Aurora and Narcissus led them to club's rooftop's door; her mind automatically going to her fight against Altus.

The déjà vu ended when Narcissus opened the door to them, revealing a luscious garden, full of beautiful plants of the most diverse types. Beneath a mistletoe, there was a large and cushioned loveseat and, in front of it, a golden harp. On the other side of the place, there was a door, veined in red velvet, which led to yet another room of the club.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable." Aurora purred as she pulled Feitan to the loveseat and stroked his arm softly. Then, she smiled invitingly to Narcissus and Senritsu. "Come, Narcissus. Bring your lady to join us."

As soon as those words left the NPC's lips, she was on the floor, holding a bruised cheek and staring up at a fuming Feitan with her seductive smile still in place – Senritsu noted that she was programmed not to feel outrage, anger or hurt; Aurora aimed to please. The thief, on the other hand, felt outrage and anger and, therefore, was on his feet, glaring down at the woman as he tightened his left hand - the one he had used to punch Aurora - around the hilt of his sword/umbrella.

Narcissus didn't react – he most likely wasn't programmed to know how to behave in such a situation either – but Senritsu did; her hand tightened around her flute and her eyes widened. She didn't understand what could've made the thief's heartbeat jump from his usually controlled requiem to such a furious chaconne.

"_His _lady?" Feitan spat, drawing his blade. "She no _his _anything, and if you say that again, I kill you. I no share, you hear me?"

Senritsu felt something cold grabbing at her neck and she recognized it as fear. Never had she met someone so blatantly possessive towards a person that just a word, used loosely and jokingly, was capable of awakening such ire in them. She dreaded what Feitan would do to keep her after they found the piece of the Sonata of Darkness that was in the game and had to go on their separate ways. Hopefully, by then, he would have overcome this odd obsession he acquired in regards to her and her music, and allow her to go peacefully. Hopefully.

"Calm down, Feitan." Senritsu asked walking towards the short man so she could stand between him and the fallen woman. "She didn't mean what she said. She's not even a person to mean anything; just a NPC whose lines were pre-programmed. There's no need for you to be angry."

Feitan furrowed his eyebrows. "What? She no like the brat?"

"No." Senritsu answered, shaking her head softly. "Neither is the man, Narcissus. They are just NPCs programmed to guide us through this next stage of the game's quest. Anything that they do or say to us has no meaning or value." A small smile stretched on the Music Hunter's lips. "There's no need to give yourself a heart-attack because of people that aren't even real."

"… I no give myself heart-attack." Feitan scoffed and he re-sheathed his sword before returning his narrowed eyes up to the NPC woman, who had stood up and was now observing them by Narcissus' side. "You. Give us sonata now. I tired of staying here."

"I'm afraid dear Aurora can't give you what you're looking for." Narcissus answered smoothly, staring directly at Senritsu. "But, if you'd come with me, Miss, I can help you _get there._ If you know what I mean."

Feitan reached for his blade again.

"He's just a NPC, Feitan. Don't take him seriously." Senritsu reminded softly before fixing her eyes on the blonde man. "What are you planning?"

The man smiled wolfishly. "Well, this is a swingers' club, Miss. I'm planning to make you feel _good._"

Senritsu heard her heart skip a beat at the man's teasing tone. She was by no means a blushing virgin and she knew the man was nothing more than a computer program. But he was a _very_ well made program and those words had her throat going dry for a moment.

Feitan, on the other hand, was almost foaming in anger; NPC or not, that man was too saucy for his own good.

"I don't have time for that." Senritsu spoke as soon as she found her voice again. "I just came here for the Sonata of Darkness."

"Oh, so you're a business-only kind of woman, huh?" Narcissus asked in a disappointed voice, but never losing his cheeky smile.

"Yes."

"That's too bad… But I understand; this life-style isn't for everyone. Still, if you wish me to teach you what I know about the Sonata of Darkness, you'll have to follow me." At that, Narcissus stretched his arms high above his head, making his shirt raise and show a tantalizing portion of his well-toned abdomen. "Come, I'm sure you'll find very _interesting_ what I have to show you."

Senritsu turned her head to Feitan, who was glaring blood murder at the man.

"Oh, don't worry about your friend." Narcissus reassured. "Aurora will keep him entertained until we come back. Won't you, sweetie?"

Aurora smiled predatorily at the thief. "Of course."

Feitan's glare darkened even more, as did his heartbeat and Senritsu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at how easily Aurora was granting on his nerves now. It seemed that the thief's interest in the NPC woman was as fleeting as his temper.

"I no want you to entertain me. I go with her."

Aurora seemed not to understand what Feitan had just said, but, when he moved to Senritsu's side, she understood his intention.

"Don't be that way, love." Senritsu flinched at how angry Feitan's heartbeat became at the pet name. "I can do many things for you."

"I no ca-"

"Can you play the harp?" Senritsu interrupted, earning herself a glare from the Spider.

"Naturally."

Feitan felt like choking Aurora for the cocky and condescending tone she used on Senritsu, but, somehow, that urge was forgotten when he saw the small woman smiling apologetically to him.

"I'm sorry, Feitan, but, could you wait here a little, please? I have to go alone with Narcissus to find out about the Sonata." The Music Hunter asked softly. "I promise I'll be as quick as possible. And it shouldn't be too bad for you, since Aurora can play the harp. You do like music, after all."

Feitan turned his head to the side and glared at the floor. "I no like any music. I like _your_."

Senritsu's eyes widened at hearing that. "Fei-"

"Go and be quick." The thief dismissed.

With a hesitant nod, Senritsu turned to walk away, but was stopped by Feitan's left hand grabbing her shoulder in a clumsy but firm grip. She raised her eyes to the thief, but he was too busy glaring at Narcissus to return the glance.

"I no trust him. I stay by door. If I hear anything happening in there, I barge him and kill him, understand? Fuck Sonata of Darkness."

"Alright." Senritsu spoke softly as Feitan released her.

Still busy glaring at Narcissus' retreating form, the short man didn't see the grateful and reassuringly smile the Music Hunter had on her lips before she followed the blonde through the red velvet door.

* * *

Only some scented candles, sparse around the floor, illuminated the room. They weren't the best light source in the world, but they were enough for Senritsu to examine her surroundings. On the centre of the room she could see a king-sized bed, covered by red, silky sheets and, in front of it, there was a small and seemingly innocent side-table, over which there were two glasses and a bucket filled with ice and a bottle of champagne. However, what really intrigued the Music Hunter were the mirrors covering the whole area of the room's walls, ceiling and even floor.

"How do you _like it, _Miss?"

Senritsu fought the shiver that threatened to run down her spine as Narcissus bent his body so he could breathe down those words in her ear. His voice was husky and playful, intent on giving his already insinuating words a dirty meaning; he was not asking about the room.

"Where is the sonata?" The Music Hunter demanded, determined not to give the NPC a chance to distract her.

Narcissus seemed not to hear her as he made his way to the side table. Giving her a smile, he grabbed the chilled champagne bottle and opened it with a pop sound before serving the drink.

"Here you go, Miss." Narcissus purred, bending down once again so he could push one of the glasses in the small woman's hand. "What should we toast to?"

Senritsu resisted the urge to sigh in exasperation. Apparently, the NPC was programmed to ignore her once inside this strange, mirrored room.

"I know! Let's toast to your beauty!"

Now, Senritsu is a calm and gentle person; one has to do an awful lot of effort to anger her. Still, with just that sentence, Narcissus earned himself a glare from the small woman. _That_ he seemed to be programmed to notice, and react to.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I'm serious." Narcissus protested, raising his hands in front of his face in a surrender gesture. "Here, Miss. See for yourself."

Senritsu sighed tiredly; to be frank, she was quite sick of this quest. Not only had it provoked a hole in her foot and exhausted her Nen once, but it was now mocking her as well. She was used to the curious and awkward (sometimes, even disgusted) glances she received from people on the streets, but having her appearance so bluntly mocked like that was really low. Despite that, the Music Hunter allowed Narcissus to push her towards the mirrored wall in front of the bed.

What she saw made her jaw drop a little and her eyes widen so much she thought they'd pop out of her sockets. In the mirror, staring back at her with an equally shocked expression, was none other than herself. Her _true_ self.

Tears threatened to fall from Senritsu's eyes as she stared at the face and body she so longed to see again, but feared never be able to. Hesitantly, afraid even, she touched the glass' cool surface with her fingers. The touch was extremely soft, as if she feared that any disturbance would make the image go away. To her relief, not only did the image remained, it also mimicked her action.

"See, Miss? You _are_ beautiful."

The mirror showed as Narcissus approached from behind, encircling her waist with his arms and nuzzling her neck. However, the NPC's reflection meant little to her; all her attention was focused solely on her own image.

"You know, I think I could spend the rest of my life in this room, just staring at you. You're so beautiful…"

Senritsu smiled as she pondered his words.

She wasn't breath-taking beautiful, never had been. However, after years of dwelling in that deformed body and only seeing its ugly reflection in the mirrors, she couldn't help but see herself as someone as stunning as the NPC made her out to be. Suddenly, an eternity of staring at herself in the mirror – her _true _self – didn't sound too bad.

* * *

"Play." Feitan ordered coldly as he glared at the mirrored room's door.

The small thief was sitting on the floor with a knee bent and his left side glued to the offending red door. Aurora was sitting on the lone loveseat with her harp laid over her right shoulder, ready to comply to Feitan's order with a smile on her face.

"As you wish." The woman purred and began to play her instrument.

Feitan was pleasantly surprised with the woman's musical skill. He didn't expect to actually enjoy the harp's sound, but Aurora played it perfectly. Not only that, it seemed that the NPC was also capable of emitting a calming aura with her melody, because the thief started to feel his body relax. Also, there was a sweet scent of vanilla lingering in the air made up for a pleasant atmosphere.

Soon, the thief closed his eyes and dropped his head to the side, laying it on the door's wood. He felt very relaxed.

_Exceedingly_ relaxed.

Grasping to what remained of his usual alertness, Feitan snapped his eyes open and turned his head to glare menacingly at Aurora. He wanted to leap at her, hit, slice and kill the bitch, but his body felt soggy and numb and didn't allow him to move.

"What you did?" Feitan slurred.

Aurora smiled seductively to the short man, never stopping playing.

"What's wrong, handsome? I'm just helping you relax. Don't you like my harp and garden? They were made especially for you."

Feitan's orbs darted from side to side at hearing that, examining the instrument the woman was playing and the garden around them. What the fuck did she mean by 'they were made especially for you'?

Then, a wave of grogginess hit the thief as the scent of vanilla intensified around him, making his vision blurry for a second. As irony would have it, this sudden blurriness in his vision made Feitan understand what exactly was happening around him, because it allowed him to see that the air around him wasn't as transparent as one would expect; it exhibited a yellowish hue.

Forcing himself to stay awake, Feitan moved his gaze, following the yellow colour that surrounded him. In the air, he found that there were many yellow trails leaving the blooming flowers around the garden and going in his direction.

_Sleeping powder. Bitch control flowers with music to release sleeping powder._

Gritting his teeth in anger, Feitan forced himself to stand up on his feet, but he didn't remain in that position for long. His mind was too numb and his legs were too wobbly to support his body, leading the short man to fall back down.

Feitan heard a 'thump' sound and felt a slight pain on the back of his head.

Then he was out.

* * *

**So now we have an unconscious Feitan and a bewitched Senritsu. ****Well, what can I say? Besides, you know...**

**I'm really sorry for leaving you all in such a cliffhanger! But it felt so right to end the chapter there that I just couldn't help myself. =.= Please, don't kill me.**

**And I'm really sorry if I made Senritsu and Feitan too OOC about the sex subject (which was most likely the case). I didn't want them to seem like perverts by noticing Aurora and Narcissus the way they did, but, at the same time, I didn't want Senritsu to be the epytome of virtue and purity we tend to think she is, nor did I want Feitan to be a cold psycopath with no interest whatsoever in the opposite sex. So, yeah...**

**Anyway, hope you enjoyed the little digging I made on Senritsu's feelings about her body. Next chapter we get more introspection from her! ;D**

**As always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :)**

**If you have the time, leave a review. I really want to know what you think about the way I portrayed Feitan and Senritsu here. ;)**

**Kisses,**

**RedVoid**


	11. Please, x Forgive x Me

**A big thank you for Yandere Shoujo, doudouchinois, PromiseDreamLife and Suaad for reviewing to the last chapter. Reading your reviews made me extremely happy! *.***

**Useless side note: did you notice that, last chapter, I managed to count exactly 30.000 words for my ten first chapters? Really, what's the odds of that happening? XD**

**Music sugesttion: Come Undone – Duran Duran**

* * *

_Gritting his teeth in anger, Feitan forced himself to stand up on his feet, but he didn't remain in that position for long. His mind was too numb and his legs were too wobbly to support his body, leading the short man to fall back down._

_Feitan heard a 'thump' sound and felt a slight pain on the back of his head._

_Then he was out._

* * *

There were bells ringing in the back of Senritsu's mind. Many, deafening bells that should've made someone with a hearing as sensitive as hers to halt everything that was she was doing, close her eyes and think about her situation carefully.

However, she managed to ignore those warning bells and, for the first time in years, focus more on what she was seeing instead of what she was hearing. And what she saw was her original face and body reflected on the ceiling's mirror, staring back at her lovingly. She was laying on her back, on the silken sheets of the bed with Narcissus beside her, laying on his side and facing her with adoring eyes that she did not truly notice.

The NPC finally raised his hand to caress her arm softly. The bells grew even louder, but they still didn't manage to retrieve Senritsu from her trance.

"I don't want this to end, lovely." Narcissus purred, approaching his mouth to the woman's ear. "Stay here with me. Forever."

Senritsu's jaw dropped slightly and her eyes widened. She was about to turn her face to the NPC, but he quickly grabbed her chin, keeping her eyes turned to the ceiling's mirror.

"Don't turn away from the mirror. You're too beautiful not to look at." Narcissus spoke. "Just listening to me is enough. This is good, isn't it?"

"Yes."

Had Senritsu been paying attention to anything besides her own reflection, she would've seen Narcisus' mouth stretch in a disturbingly wide smile.

"So, why end it? Forget the sonata and stay here. Here, you have what you've always wanted. I gave your true body back to you."

"But-"

"_But? _Don't you like your true body?"

"Yes, b-"

"No. No buts. Nothing is worth sacrificing this accomplishment. Nothing is worth giving up such beauty." Narcissus spoke firmly. "Stay here. You are worthy more than the sonata, are-"

_Thump._

Out of reflex, Senritsu grabbed her flute and sat up quickly as she fixed her eyes on the room's door, from where that soft thumping sound had come from. For the first time since she was served that glass of champagne, she broke her gaze from the mirror's reflection of herself. Head turned to the door and away from Narcissus, she didn't see the almost fearful look in the NPC's eyes as he stared at her back.

"What was-"

Senritsu stopped talking and blinked as she rotated the flute in her hand; her very small and plump hand. Painstakingly slowly, the Music Hunter raised her other hand in front of her face. They were not her _true_ hands. Those hands rose even higher, caressing a fat face with long front teeth, no eyebrows and a bald top of head.

"-that?"

"What are you doing, Miss? Don't waste your precious time like that." Narcissus tried, jumping so he could sit in front of Senritsu on the bed. "Let's go back to admiring yo-"

"Be quiet."

The NPC stopped talking immediately, watching in helplessness as the woman before him closed her eyes and took deep, calming breaths.

_I didn't recover my true body for a second. It was all an illusion kept by these mirrors… How could I not see through it before?_ Senritsu thought, forcing herself to keep calm. _The choice of a swingers' club, the interaction with the seductive couple… it was all so I'd believe that Nocturnal intended to use sex to distract me from the Sonata of Darkness when, in truth, he wanted me to lose myself in my own selfish desire of reacquiring my body._

"To forget my objectives because of my own image. How very _narcissist_ of me." Senritsu breathed out with an acid smile on her face; the dark humour behind the choice of the NPC's name was not lost on her.

"Miss, I-"

"Where is the Sonata of Darkness, Narcissus?" The Music Hunter demanded, never once opening her eyes. "Just answer the question. I'm tired of this game."

"Please, Miss, don't-"

Without any kind of warning, Senritsu delivered a punch on the NPC's face, making him fly and hit the opposite wall.

The Music Hunter never focused much on improving her Enhancement Nen, but, as an Emitter, she had a good affinity with it, something that allowed her to hold her own in a fistfight, when the situation demanded it of her.

Eyes still closed, the woman jumped off the bed and walked slowly towards Narcissus, using the sound of his movements to guide her around the room. All the while praying that he wouldn't fight back; she was too tired and Nen-drained to play her Aura-emitting songs and she did not excel or enjoy physical fights.

"The sonata, Narcissus."

Senritsu heard the NPC sigh in defeat as he stood up from the ground. Body tense and ready to fight, she listened attentively as he marched to the bed and moved the pillows a bit. Soon, he was standing right in front of her, offering her a card.

"Take this, Miss." She heard Narcissus speak softly and raised her right arm, moving it a bit in front of her until her fingers met the cool surface of the card. "You'll find the Sonata of Darkness there."

Her eyes were still closed, so Senritsu didn't know where 'there' was. But she could guess that the card she had received was just like the Free Pass to Masadora's Museum of Music; an entrance to the next stage of the quest.

Senritsu summoned her binder and put the card into one of the unnumbered slots. She preferred to check her next destination later than to risk opening her eyes and get caught in the mirror's magic. Again.

"I won't oppose you leaving this place to retrieve the sonata, but Aurora might not be so understanding." Narcissus warned. "She tends to grow attached to the neophytes that come her way. I don't think she'll let your companion go so easily."

"Feitan can handle himself."

"I don't doubt his strength and neither does Aurora. She'll have him out before he notices what is happening." The NPC continued, sitting on the bed. "Her music has a strange effect on people."

The Music Hunter felt something cold grab at her heart. She was worried. _  
_

"I see…" Senritsu spoke after some seconds in silence, smiling up at Narcissus' general direction. "Thank you for the warning, Narcissus."

She moved to the door, but stopped.

"… and thank you for what you showed me here." The Music Hunter added as an after-thought. "Years of dwelling in a body such as mine made me forget what vanity was. It also made me forget how dangerous egocentrism actually is. You gave me a good lesson."

With that, Senritsu laid her hand on the doorknob, not seeing the shocked the NPC had been programmed to show.

* * *

On Aurora's garden, Feitan's predicament justified Senritsu's concern for him. Not only was the thief out cold due to the plants' sleeping powder, he was also suspended in the air by them. His whole body was entwined by thick vines, full of thorns that pressed deep enough to draw droplets of blood from the thief's arms, legs, torso and neck.

Aurora remained on her spot at the lovers' seat and never stopped playing her harp.

"It seems Narcissus couldn't win his little Missy over." The NPC mused in a melodious voice, observing Feitan's unconscious body with hungry and predatory eyes. "But it doesn't matter, handsome. I won't let her take you from me."

As soon as those words left the NPC's lips, the door of the mirrored room opened, revealing Senritsu's short figure. The Music Hunter's eyes doubled their size as she took what was happening in front of her. Aurora noticed this and smiled sadistically to her.

"Leave now, Missy." Aurora ordered. "I have no interest in you, but he-" The NPC nodded towards Feitan. "-is staying with me."

Senritsu didn't pay attention to the woman's words. Instead, she focused her attention in finding a way around this. Her Aura was exhausted, her foot was throbbing, Feitan was a hostage and the air around her had an odd vanilla-scent that made her hold her breath as a precaution. She was at a great disadvantage and she did not have much time before having to resume breathing.

"Didn't you hear me?" Aurora asked and increased the tempo of her melody. Suddenly, vines started to move around her, ready to attack. "Leave. Now."

The short woman's eyes narrowed when she understood Aurora's power - she was just like that Pianist of Flames, using music to control her surroundings. If only she had a little more Aura, she'd be able to use Winter's Freeze to keep her still for 10 seconds; more than enough time for her to destroy the harp.

Her jaw dropped slightly and her hand tightened around her flute when a sudden thought came to mind.

What if… she left Feitan? She had what she had come to get, after all. She didn't need - didn't _want - _the thief to accompany her in this quest. His possessiveness had a scary dimension by itself; what if spending more time with him increased it? He may want to keep her as his possession, as some sort of human music box. He may never allow her to leave. But now… now _she_ had the chance to leave_ him_; forever maybe, depending on how Aurora was programmed to act.

Senritsu's grip on her flute tightened even more when realization hit her. She could do more than just leave the thief; she could actually _kill _him. She could rid Kurapika of one of his demons and pursuers. She could rid the world of a thief and a murder - a _Spider._

All it would take was a Nen-enhanced punch to the throat. Unconscious, Feitan wouldn't be able to defend himself with Ken, so even someone as unskilled in Enhancement as Senritsu could kill him.

She _should _kill him_._ For the world. For Kurapika.

Suddenly, one of the vines whipped Senritsu across the face, leaving an angry red mark on her cheek and she understood what that action meant all too well. Time was up; she had to make her decision.

Feeling cold sweat streak down her back, Senritsu used Ko to concentrate her Nen in her right fist, and attacked.

_Please, forgive me._

* * *

**Well, another mean cliffhanger... I think I'm starting to develop a sadistic writer's side. -.- Sorry, everyone... =.=**

**Well, it was a short chapter, but I still hope you enjoyed Senritsu reflections and last second indecision. ;)**

**Kisses,**

**RedVoid**


	12. Lack x Of x Understanding

**Many thanks to Yandere Shoujo, Colorless Butterfly, Bai-Feng333, doudouchinois and Sailor Pandabear for reviewing to last chapter. :D**

**Music suggestion: Better days – Breaking Benjamin**

**rondo:****an instrumental form in which one section intermittently recurs between subsidiary sections and which concludes the piece.**

**Trevor Brown: british artist that explores dark themes in his works (violence, BDSM, pedophilia, etc). Feitan is occasionally shown reading his art books.**

* * *

The first thing Feitan felt when he woke up was grogginess, something that hadn't happened in years now – the thief always woke up attentive and ready for action. The second thing he felt was anger; his grogginess showed that someone had dared to drug him. Then, when memories from what had happened in the swingers' club came back to his mind, he felt hate. NPC or not, he would hunt down that fucking bitch and torture so badly that Trevor Brown himself wouldn't dare to look at her remainings.

Eyes open and narrowed dangerously, the torturer sat up, noticing he had been laying down on a bed and that he was dressing only his pants. His torso, arms and neck were covered only by bandages and he could feel gauze wrapped around his legs as well, from his mid-tigh down. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. How did he-?

"Finally! Sleeping Ugliness awakes!"

An annoying voice came from his right, getting Feitan to turn his head. The thief almost groaned in frustration at seeing none other than that green-haired brat standing in front of him, arms crossed and a scowl on his lips.

"What you doing here, brat?" Feitan demanded, rewarding the boy with a scowl of his own.

"I'm watching over Miss Senritsu." Altus replied, glaring daggers at the thief. "I knew you'd wake before she did and there was no way in hell that I'd leave her alone and unconscious with a beast like you."

Feitan felt tempted to slice off the boy's tongue for that 'beast' comment, but refrained of doing so at seeing a small figure laying on a bed behind the brat.

"What happened?" The thief asked; his eyes going from burning anger to outright confusion.

"I should ask **you** that!" The green-haired boy snapped. "I let you go with Miss Senritsu so you could protect her, not the other way around, you idiot!"

Suddenly, the small thief was off the bed and behind Altus, twisting his left arm in a painful angle that made the boy let out a scream of pain.

"If you want keep arm, I suggest you choose next words better." Feitan ordered in a cold voice.

Altus craned his neck to glare at the man from over his shoulder. "Fuck… you."

With his free hand, Feitan unsheathed his sword and was about to pierce the boy's thigh with it when small fingers grabbed at his cloak weakly.

"He's just a kid, Feitan." Senritsu spoke in a soft whisper. "Let him be."

Hearing Senritsu's voice, and in such a weak tone nonetheless, surprised the thief, making him slack his hold on his would-be-victim. Altus didn't waste a moment in seizing the opportunity to break free from the shorter man and go around him, so he could kneel by the Music Hunter's bed.

"Miss Senritsu! Are you alright?"

The small woman gave the boy a reassuringly smile as she forced her body to sit up on the bed.

"I'm alright." She reassured before taking in her surroundings. They were in a spacious room, with two single beds and an open window that allowed the light of the moon to enter. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Just a couple of hours." Altus answered and shot a nasty look at Feitan from over his shoulder. "Should've been more if someone hadn't made so much noise."

The torturer raised an eyebrow at hearing that. "I making noise? You one that screamed like girl."

"Only because you twisted my arm!"

"You screaming again." Feitan pointed out, smirking at the embarrassed and angry blush on the boy's cheeks.

"Shut up!"

Senritsu couldn't help but sigh tiredly at the males' antics. She had to find a way to separate them before Altus got himself killed. Feitan was too easily annoyed while the boy was too easily annoying.

"Please, don't fight." The Music Hunter pleaded softly.

Altus snapped his neck to Senritsu's direction, ready to whine a protest, but, at seeing how tired she was, he sealed his lips and blushed, glaring at the floor. "He started, Miss Senritsu…"

"Shut up, brat." Feitan spat out. "Your annoying voice no let she rest. Get out of room."

"I told you before! I'm not letting Miss Senritsu alone with you!"

Senritsu heard and saw the thief reach for his blade again.

"It's alright, Altus." She put in quickly. "Feitan and I have lots of discuss. I'd prefer if you got your own room to rest while we talk.

"What?! But you're the one that needs-"

"Please, Altus." The Music Hunter interrupted, noticing how fast Feitan's heartbeats spiked in anger. "Leave us."

"…Fine." Altus conceded with a pout. "I'll get the room next to this. If he tries to hurt you, all you have to do is scream and I'll be here, Miss Senritsu."

Senritsu smiled reassuringly to the boy. "Thank you, Altus. But you don't need to worry; I'll be fine." Altus didn't seem convinced. "Trust me."

"I do trust you, Miss Senritsu. It's him I don't trust!"

With those words and a glare to Feitan, Altus stomped out of the room, leaving the Spider and the Hunter alone. As soon as the door closed behind the boy, Senritsu turned her gaze to Feitan, who was glaring at said door, as if his gaze could pierce the boy who had just passed through it.

"I'm sorry, Feitan. He's ju-"

"Just a brat. No know better." The thief completed with an annoyed sigh as his heartbeats returned to its regular rhythm. "I know. I just no care."

The woman smiled tiredly as she watched the thief walk back to his bed and sit down. The thief laid his elbows on his knees as he regarded her with an intense glint on his narrowed eyes. She couldn't help but think that such an intense stare matched his strong heartbeat perfectly.

"What happened in club?" The thief asked at last, not missing the way the woman's body tensed at the question.

"I'm a little tired right now, Feitan." Senritsu spoke apologetically. "Could we talk about this after I've rested for a couple of hours more?"

The interrogator's heartbeat sped up in annoyance and confusion. It wasn't like Senritsu to avoid answering questions – and in such an obvious and desperate way nonetheless.

"No." He answered finally. "You tell now what happened. I want know how we got out. And what brat meant with you protecting me."

"Altus is just a child. It's easy for him to misundersta-"

"Stop beating around bush. Just tell what happened." Feitan's heartbeats acquired a sudden cold edge that made a shiver run down the woman's spine. "Or I find brat and ask him, using _any _method I want."

Senritsu's jaw dropped at hearing the threat issued in a calm and almost conversationally voice – _not a threat; a promise. _

"Speak."

Taking in a deep breath, Senritsu nodded her head.

* * *

_Aurora looked shocked when Senritsu managed to avoid all of her attacks - even though they weren't really that fast – and reach her. The shock was even more evident when the Music Hunter delivered a strong punch to her precious harp, destroying the instrument._

_Senritsu smiled as the instrument's pieces fell at her feet and, finally, she allowed herself to breath again. _

_Killing Feitan was the best course of action. She knew it very well, but she couldn't bring herself to do it; not because an unseeing force kept her from doing it, but because her own will and principles didn't allow her to go through with a murder. Because killing Feitan in that defenceless state would be just that: a murder. She was a musician; someone who brought life to emotions and happening through sound. She was a person of life, not death. Despite being a Hunter for years now, she had never killed a person, no matter how much they deserved it; and she wasn't going to start now – even more with an unconscious… acquaintance. _

"_You… BITCH! He's mine! I won't let him go!" _

_Aurora's angry shriek removed Senritsu from her introspective contemplations with a start. Eyes wide and lips slightly apart, the small woman watched Aurora retrieve a sharp knife from a holster hidden on her leg and run towards her. The small woman tensed, ready to jump out of the NPC's way. _

_But she didn't need to._

_Footsteps approached quickly from behind and, before she knew it, Narcissus was in front of her, receiving the sharp end of Aurora's knife in his lower abdomen. _

"_N-Narcissus! What are you doing?!"_

_Aurora made to pull away from the man, but he kept her in place by encircling her shoulders with his arms._

"_Let him go, Aurora."_

"_No! He's mine! Look at him… He looks so beautiful while he sleeps..."_

_Was Senritsu a little less emphatic, she would've laughed at realizing that Aurora's name, just like Narcissus, had not been chosen by chance. It was a clear reference to the Sleeping Beauty._

"_What's the point of keeping someone close to you if they are unwilling?" Narcissus asked softly. "Forget him, Aurora. I'll forget her."_

"_But… I don't want to be alone." NPC or not, Senritsu felt her heart clench at Aurora's broken voice._

_Narcissus tightened his grip around the blonde woman. "I'll be with you."_

_Aurora's eyes widened for a second before closing slowly as she returned Narcissus' embrace._

_Senritsu observed with surprise the two NPCs, holding each other lovingly, being turned into a card in a puff of smoke. The Nymphs / 665 / S-rank. The harp followed suit: Blooming Harp / 664 / S-rank._

_Slowly, as once again she was hit by exhaustion, Senritsu grabbed the cards from the floor and put them in her binder. After that, her eyes turned to Feitan, who was still upheld by the vines. For moments, she stood still, watching as blood soaked the thief's coat and dripped to the floor, thanks to the thorns in the vines puncturing his body in many different places. The thought that the thorns were poisoned crossed her mind and made her feel sick to the stomach._

_The Music Hunter smiled tiredly. Not only did she refuse to kill the Spider, but she was now fearing the possibility of him being poisoned… Really, she was a disgrace to Kurapika._

Please, forgive me… Kurapika.

_Still, Senritsu moved quickly to remove the vines from Feitan's body, ignoring the throbbing of her own foot. A new surge of concern came to her when she saw that the vines also caused the man's wounds from their fight against Altus to open, increasing the man's bleeding flux greatly._

_As soon as the man was free of the vines, she wrapped his arms around her neck so she could carry him out of that place in a weird piggyback. Due to her small height, the thief's legs dragged on the floor. __She just prayed that Altus remained resolute in his decision of waiting for them just outside the place. She didn't know for how long she'd be capable of keeping her body awake and moving out of sheer will-power._

* * *

Naturally, Senritsu's relate about what had happened in the swingers' club didn't take into regard her feelings and thoughts. It was objective to the point you'd think she was completely apathetic.

"So all you did was destroyed harp and the NPCs taked care of themselves." Feitan summarized. "Then you dragged me out and finded Altus outside. He bring us here and you passed out."

"Yes." Senritsu confirmed with a stiff nod and a smile that tried desperately to be soft and nonchalantly.

Feitan couldn't read heartbeats, but he was the Phantom Troupe's interrogator for a reason. Not only did he know torture techniques that would put the most sadistic torturer to shame, he was also very good at knowing when people kept things from him, and it was obvious that Senritsu was doing just that. She didn't want to tell him anything more about what happened in that club than the absolutely essential.

For seconds that seemed an eternity to Senritsu, Feitan's heartbeat oscillated from the desire to demand more information and resignation to what it was given. Finally, the rhythm was chosen and the heartbeats settled in a calm and decided rondo that made the small woman tense in anticipation.

"Why?" The thief demanded, obviously confused. "You and I know our 'deal' of I help you and you play is just façade; you had no choice but stay with me. If I want torture you, I do. If I want kill you, I do. If I want use you to bring Chain User to me, I do. You mine: mine captive, mine hostage, mine music box… So why you no killed me and be free when you had chance? Why you helped me and taked care of my wounds? Why no just leave me there to bleed to death? I do worse if I had Chain User in my hands."

Senritsu's arms shook as she fisted her hands on her lap and shut her eyes tightly, not wanting to face Feitan, but, most of all, not wanting to face herself. Somewhere inside, she still felt as if she had betrayed Kurapika by choosing to let the Spider live.

"… I just wouldn't." Senritsu breathed out shakily; her voice almost breaking. "I know that I could've killed you; that I_ should've_ killed you. I know I'll never have this chance again. That all I did was wave at that chance as it passed me by, but, for the life of me, I just couldn't take it."

Finally, the woman opened her sad and tear-filled eyes, turning them to Feitan's surprised ones. She smiled sadly, and it made the thief's heart skip a beat.

"I should've killed you, Feitan… But… I didn't want to."

* * *

As soon as Senritsu finished talking, Feitan all but fled the room, slamming the door on his way out. He needed to think.

The torturer wanted to be angry and to feel that cruel blood lust he always felt towards anyone who didn't do what he expected of them, but he didn't. He only felt confused. And _bothered; _extremely bothered.

Many of his victims called the torturer psychotic, sadistic and crazy. But they were all wrong, at least regarding that last one. He wasn't crazy. All he did, he did for a reason: he liked torturing and killing people; it made him feel good. It may not be a good enough reason for the unfortunate souls that felt prey to his more sadistic side, but it was a reason nonetheless. What he did was logical, hence he wasn't crazy.

That woman was the crazy one. How _dared_ she help him – not save. No, Feitan wasn't saved by anyone – for no reason whatsoever?

"_I should've killed you, Feitan… But… I didn't want to."_

He was a thief, a murderer and a torturer. He had killed her precious friend's family. He tried to kill her friends. He basically kidnapped her. And he _would_ kill the Chain User; that little shit she held at such high esteem.

All of those were reasons not only to want to kill him, but to actually make an effort to do so.

And yet, she had the chance to accomplish that, but chose not to. More than that, she fought to keep him alive, bandaging his wounds with care and skill – the quality of the dressing was perfect. He knew it had been she who took care of his wounds because there was no way that brat would've done so.

Talking about the brat, he had some questions for him.

* * *

"What do you mean by _How she bandaged me?" _Altus echoed, glaring up at the short man who had barged into his room. "By wrapping the gauze around your body, stupid."

Feitan's eyes narrowed in annoyance, but he resisted the urge to shove his blade down the boy's throat. For now, at least.

"She tired when she come back from club." The thief explained, mustering every ounce of the patience he didn't have. "Why she wrap gauze around all of my wounds when she so tired?"

"Because she is a wonderful person. She wouldn't forgive herself for allowing someone to die, even if said someone deserved to." The brat answered in an acid voice. "She knew I wouldn't have given you a second glance so she pushed herself to her limit to take care of your wounds. After she was sure you'd be alright, she passed out before even making to her bed. She didn't even changed the gauze of her own wound. It was luck that I noticed her foot was hurt and changed it for her, or else she could've gotten an infection or something."

"..."

"You know, instead of demanding _whys _and _hows_, you should just be grateful. It wouldn't kill you to thank Miss Senritsu."

That said, Altus stood up from his bed and made to walk out of his room, but Feitan stood in his way.

"Where you going?" Feitan demanded with a glare.

"To Miss Senritsu's room." The boy answered, staring down at the thief with a levelled gaze. "Since you two are done talking, I'll return there to watch over her."

Feitan's glare hardened. "She no need you to."

"I don't care if she _needs _me to. I want to watch over her." There it was again; that weird _want_ to help others. "She'll be able to rest better if she knows someone she trusts will be watching over her."

"…I go watch over her."

"Are you deaf or just really stupid?" Altus snapped, glaring down at the thief. "I said someone she trusts!"

"What make you think she no trust me?" Feitan retorted, pulling his sword free of its sheath and raising it to the boy's neck, daring him to call him stupid again. "We together before we met you, brat. Why you think she trust you more than me? You called me Mr third-wheel before, but you the only third-wheel here. Only reason you still with us is because Senritsu too soft to tell you go. But I not. We no need and we no _want_ you here anymore. Take hint and go away. If you still here by morning, I kill you. Understand?"

Altus opened his mouth, ready to shot back a snarky retort, but no sound came from his throat. His eyes widened and his body started to shake in fear as the murderer in front of him used En to push an immense murderous intent over his body. Altus' Ren wasn't nearly enough to block such an intense blood-lust and soon, the boy fell to his trembling knees.

"That what I thought."

Deactivating his En, Feitan returned his sword to its sheath and walked away, leaving a trembling Altus behind.

* * *

The thief was sure he didn't make a sound when he entered Senritsu's room, but, of course, she knew he was there. Damn his heartbeat and breathing.

"You need to stop being so cruel to Altus." The woman commented softly, raising her body to a sitting position on the bed so she could look at Feitan.

"And you need stop eavesdropping." Feitan retorted in a calm voice as he walked to the free bed and sat down.

"I wasn't. Not on purpose, at least. In the end of your exchange, your heartbeats became too agitated for me not to listen; they made me worry that a serious fight would break in between the two of you. I had to pay attention in case I needed to intervene to save Altus' life."

"Stop doing that." Feitan snapped, narrowing his eyes at the woman in front of him. "Stop worry about others when you should worry about you."

Senritsu smiled softly. "I can't do that, Feitan. It's part of me to worry about others the way I do. I like making people happy."

"I know that. But I no like it."

"… Why?"

"You pushed your body to limit because you needed please me with music and wanted to please the brat with fucking date. Now you even worse because you took care of me when it would be better for you to let me die. It bother me, the way you act."

"Are you saying that the fact that I saved your life bothers you?" Senritsu asked, not even trying to hide the confusion in her words.

"Yes."

"I don't understand you. How can y-"

"Shut up." Feitan cut in, but his voice wasn't sharp or annoyed. It was almost soft. "Just sleep. I stay here to watch over you."

For one second, Feitan wished he had Senritsu's skill to read her heartbeat, because he really wanted to know what she was feeling at that moment. From the way she was staring at him, with her eyes wide and her lips parted, he knew she was surprised by his words. But there was definitely more. Her eyes were a whirlwind of feelings and thoughts he did not recognize or understand. And it bothered him, so much.

_Some day, I make you understand me. _The Spider promised himself as he locked gazes with the woman before him. _And, some day, I understand you._

* * *

**Well, personally, I really liked this chapter. Lots of emotional conflicts and whatnot. ****Hope you all enjoyed it as well. :) If you have the time, tell me what you think about it; especially about Senritsu and Feitan's behaviour. ;D**

**Kisses,**

**RedVoid **


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